MINESTRONE SOUP--EMERIL

MINESTRONE SOUP--EMERIL image

Yield 6 people

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large leek, white and light green parts only, split in half and rinsed well under
running water, thinly sliced
1 large onion, chopped, about 1 ½ cups
2 large carrots, roughly chopped
2 large celery ribs, roughly chopped
1 medium zucchini, cubed, about 1 ¼ cups
1 medium yellow squash, cubed, about 1 ¼ cups
10 cups vegetable stock
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 Parmesan cheese rinds, about 5 by 2-inches
1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano leaves
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (6 ounces or 1 ¼cups cubed)
2 cups packed fresh chopped kale leaves, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
¼ cup small, dried pasta such as ditalini
½ cup Great Northern beans, soaked overnight or 1 (15-ounce) can white
beans, drained and rinsed
Garlic loaf for serving if desired, recipe follows

Steps:

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, cheese rinds, basil or oregano, crushed red pepper, potatoes and kale. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pasta and beans and simmer for a final 15 minutes. Remove the cheese rind with a slotted spoon and serve with slice of Garlic Loaf.