MINESTRONE

Minestrone image

One of my favorite dishes, which is hard to find properly made in Italian restaurants, is a good minestrone. This hardy vegetable soup is especially delicious poured on top of a mound of steamed Swiss chard or kale, and garnished with a green extra virgin Tuscan olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan. If you have any leftover rinds of Parmesan cheese, they can be cooked in the soup and will give it flavor. Serve the soup with toasted Italian bread spread with olive oil and rubbed with crushed garlic.

Provided by Moira Hodgson

Categories soups and stews, main course

Time 2h45m

Yield 6 - 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

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Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried cannellini beans
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 leeks, sliced
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks celery, sliced
1/2 pound baby carrots, cut in half
1/2 pound small zucchini, cut in 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound string beans, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 cup Italian tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (fresh or canned)
8 cups chicken stock
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to garnish

Steps:

Soak the beans overnight in water to cover. Discard the water. Add fresh water to cover and simmer until the beans are soft, about 30 to 45 minutes. Allow them to cool in their water.
In a large, heavy casserole, soften the onion, garlic and leeks in the olive oil. Add the celery, carrots, zucchini, string beans and potato and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes.
Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a separate pan. Add to the soup ingredients and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours covered. The soup should be thick, not watery. If it is too watery, uncover and cook until thickened.
Add the beans and cook for 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Before serving, sprinkle the soup with parsley. Serve with a small jug of extra virgin olive oil on the side and a bowl of grated Parmesan cheese. The oil and the cheese are added separately.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 360, UnsaturatedFat 8 grams, Carbohydrate 51 grams, Fat 10 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 18 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1126 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams

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