Monday, November 28, 2011

Autumn minestrone soup



Everyone loves this classic Italian recipe.  My version is a hearty soup full of tender vegetables, and fully flavored with parmesan rinds and smoky bacon.  What more could you want?  Delicious.



List of ingredients


2 strips bacon chopped (for a vegetarian soup, double the olive oil and omit bacon)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
2 ribs celery diced
2 large carrots diced
1 1/2 cups cubed red potato
1 can cannellini beans
1 bunch swiss chard ribbed and torn into pieces (spinach will work too)
1 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes in juice (roughly chop the tomatoes)
1 1/4 quarts chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 oz parmesan rind
1 4 inch sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp dried oregano
3 tablespoons chopped italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons prepared pesto (optional, I just had some and it tastes really good in the soup)
1/4 box small shell pasta (elbows or any small pasta shape will work)
grated parmesan for serving

In a very large pot, render the bacon until browned.  Add the olive oil, onion , garlic, celery and carrot.  Sautee until soft.  Add rosemary, bay leaf, thyme, oregano and tomato paste.  Combine and sautee for a minute or two.  Dump in tomatoes, parmesan rind, pesto and the broth.  Simmer together for 10 minutes.  Add the potatoes, beans, chopped parsley and chard.  It will look like you're adding too much chard, but it quickly wilts so don't worry.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20-25 more minutes.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente as they say.  Remove the cheese rind, rosemary stem and bay leaf.  Serve with a sprinkle of parsley and a bit of grated parmesan cheese.

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