SOOOOUPPPPP: Minestrone Version
Minestrone for a crowd adapted from ciaosamin.com
Makes 8 to 10 servings
This big batch of soup is made in two parts: the dried beans are cooked in one pot and the vegetables in noter, and when everything is tender, they are combined into a heavenly soup.
1 cup ( 7 ounces) dried beans (I used mung beans)
8-10 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1 this crumbled dried sage)
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 medium fennel bulb (optional)
3 medium celery ribs, thinly sliced
4 ounces kale, spinach, mustard greens, dandelions, or other leafy green
2 pounds tomatoes*
1/2 butternut squash*
2 red pimento peppers+
12 ounces zucchini
1/2 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/3 cup sliced fresh basil leaves
Oregano, fresh or dried
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups homemade or canned vegetable broth
1. Put the dried beans in a large pot with 6 cups of water, 6 peeled cloves of garlic, and the sage. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for at least an hour for larger beans, or until the beans are tender. Add a teaspoon of salt.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the onion and the remaining cloves of garlic, sliced thin.
cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Trim the fennel, cut it into 1/2 inch dice, and add it to the onion and garlic, along with the celery and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook another 15 mins, stirring now and then.
3. Trim the tough stems off the greens, and cut the greens into 1-inch strips Peel the tomatoes and cut them into chunks, keeping all the juice. Peel and seed the butternut squash and cut it into 1-inch dice (about 2 cups). Seed and coarsely chop the pimentos. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, and slice it thick. Add these vegetables to the soup pot, along with 5 cups water, the parsley and basil, and a generous pinch of oregano. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes.
4. When the beans are ready, add them to the vegetable soup along with all the broth, plenty of freshly ground black pepper, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and as much vegetable broth as you need to give the soup a consistency you like. SImmer the soup a few minutes to marry the flavors, then taste, and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed.
5. Serve!
* I left these out as I didn’t have them, soup tasted great!
+ used an organic red bell pepper instead
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