Best Summer Minestrone Al Pesto Recipes

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SUMMER MINESTRONE



Summer Minestrone image

Provided by Tyler Florence

Categories     main-dish

Time 40m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 22

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs fresh marjoram
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
2 celery ribs, peeled and chopped
1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups young green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups shelled English peas (or substitute frozen)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts low-sodium chicken stock, enough to cover
1 cup heavy cream
Basil and Mint Pesto, recipe follows
1 bunch watercress or parsley
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Steps:

  • In a large, heavy pot add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, marjoram and basil. Saute gently until fragrant. Add the vegetables and cook a little of the moisture out, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in the chicken stock and heavy cream bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 so the flavours can come together - do not let it boil hard. Remove half of the vegetables from the pot and puree and add back to the pot to thicken. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Serve each bowl with a spoonful of basil and mint pesto on top, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with watercress or parsley.
  • Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until just combined and the pesto still has a lot of texture.

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL



Summer Minestrone With Fresh Basil image

You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it's pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.

Provided by Martha Rose Shulman

Time 1h20m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
Salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquid
1 medium turnip, peeled and diced
3/4 pound zucchini, diced
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup penne
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnish

Steps:

  • Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
  • While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
  • Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
  • Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 146, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 26 grams, Fat 2 grams, Fiber 6 grams, Protein 7 grams, SaturatedFat 0 grams, Sodium 547 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams

SUMMER MINESTRONE AL PESTO



Summer Minestrone al Pesto image

Some vegetable soups are complex and long-simmered. This light, brothy one brims with full-flavored summer vegetables for a minestrone that comes together in a half an hour or so. If you don't have a vegetable garden, look to the farmers' market for the freshest, sweetest produce. For a warm-weather lunch or supper, the simplicity of this soup is very appealing.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     dinner, lunch, weekday, soups and stews, main course

Time 30m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced, about 1 1/2 cups
Salt and pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Splash of white wine (optional)
2 large very ripe sweet tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 or 4 zucchini or summer squash, chopped into roughly 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
1/2 pound romano beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths (about 2 cups)
2 cups small, dry pasta, such as pennette or orecchiette
1/2 pound small green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch lengths (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper
2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed, washed and dried
1 cup parsley leaves, loosely packed, washed and dried
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Steps:

  • Set a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat, and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to color, 5 or 6 minutes.
  • Add garlic, bay leaf, tomato paste and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute, then add wine, if using, and tomatoes, and bring to a brisk simmer.
  • Add 8 cups water and a good pinch of salt and let mixture return to a brisk simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then taste for seasoning. The broth should be well seasoned before the vegetables go in.
  • Make the pesto: As the broth simmers, pound the garlic and salt to a paste in a large mortar. Beginning with a few basil leaves at a time, pound basil to a paste, then add parsley leaves and a little salt. Continue to pound until all the basil and parsley have been pounded into a coarse green paste. (Alternatively, many people may wish to make the pesto in a food processor.)
  • Transfer to a serving bowl and whisk in olive oil and Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside covered with a thin layer of oil or with plastic film pressed against its surface to prevent oxidation.
  • Add the zucchini, romano beans and pasta to the simmering broth and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Add green beans and cook for a minute or 2.
  • Ladle soup into bowls, topping each with a dollop of pesto. Pass more grated Parmesan at the table.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 789, UnsaturatedFat 44 grams, Carbohydrate 65 grams, Fat 54 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 16 grams, SaturatedFat 9 grams, Sodium 1273 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams

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