Minestrone: The Big Soup from Milan

The constant—if one exists—is dried legumes. But in this recipe, I've taken the liberty of using canned beans, and in my opinion, with no harm to the original intent.

Minestrone may appear daunting by the sheer variety as well as the quantity of vegetables, but I offer two defenses: You need only use una manciata 'a handful' of each of the vegetables, and you can do most of the prep work in advance. Once you begin cooking, this goes from stove to table very quickly.

There's no way to make a small batch of minestrone, so plan to invite some friends for dinner. At the same time, you'll probably spend about $8.00 for the ingredients. Again, this is cook's choice, so find your favorite vegetables at the market and have at it.

The recipe I've written here happens to be vegetarian. I didn't do that on purpose. In fact I've shown up at dinner parties with a little piece of Pancetta strapped to my calf if I had some doubts about what was going to be waiting for me in the dining room. But I mention this because this soup is infinitely variable. If you want to include a couple of ounces of Pancetta, do so with my blessing. Also, some Italians, particularly Tuscans, add sausages to their Minestrone. And of course, I have no problem with adding chicken stock, rather than water during the cooking.

The recipe below reflects my most recent batch of minestrone. Feel free to use whatever looks good in the greengrocer's, like fennel, leeks, cauliflower, cabbage, escarole, etc.

I'm pleased to say that Parmesan rind, one of the ingredients I've included, is becoming more readily available. I've recently found it at the deli counter at my local mega-grocery store.

I feel confident you'll enjoy this dish, either as-is, or as a first course to go along with the Easter leftovers; Lasagne, or Leg of Lamb, or Braciole, etc.

Ingredients:

• 1 Medium carrot, peeled and chopped roughly
• 1 Celery stalk, chopped roughly
• 1 Medium onion, peeled and chopped roughly
• 2 Cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 Tbs. flat leaf Italian parsley
• 2-4 fresh sage leaves
• Olive oil vSalt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ½ quarts water
• 1 Celery stalk, finely diced
• 1 Medium carrot, quartered lengthwise and diced
• 1 Medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 Medium all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced
• ¼ head of broccoli, cut into small florets
• Rind from a piece of Parmigiano (if available)
• 1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and diced v1 small yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and diced
• 1 cup peas
• Approx. 4 oz. green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
• Approx. 4 oz. yellow beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
• ½ lb. spinach, washed and stems removed
• 1 19 oz. can Red Kidney Beans, washed and drained
• 1 19 oz. can Cannellini Beans, washed and drained
• 1 19 oz. can Chick Peas, washed and drained
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Slices of Italian bread (optional)
• 1 Cup Tubettini, Orzo, or small shell pasta
• Freshly grated Parmigiano

Preparation:

Put the carrot, celery, onion, garlic, parsley and sage in the food processor and pulse about ten times for one second each pulse. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat, then pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. At the same time, start another large pot filled with six or more quarts of water on high heat, for the pasta.

Pour the chopped vegetables into the pot, season with salt and pepper, and sauté them for approximately ten minutes, or until they're thoroughly wilted and slightly golden in color. Add the water, stirring and scraping any bits of vegetables that have caramelized on the bottom of the pan.

Add the celery, carrot, onion, potatoes, broccoli, and if you have one, add the rind from the Parmigiano. Bring the pot to the simmer, season with salt and pepper, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for ten minutes. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, peas, green and yellow beans, and continue cooking at the simmer for another ten minutes.

When you've added the vegetables above, start the pasta. Cook until it's al dente, drain and reserve. Add the canned beans to the soup and simmer for two or three minutes, just to heat them. Taste the soup for salt and pepper and add to your taste at this time.

At serving time, make a choice about which province you'd like to represent: Lombardians (Milanese) serve minestrone over a slice of Italian bread fried in Olive Oil. Ligurians serve it with two or three tablespoons of Pesto. Tuscans garnish with a tablespoon or two of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. In all cases, though, spoon a bit of pasta into a bowl, then ladle a good portion of the soup over the pasta. Garnish with the freshly grated Parmigiano.

Serves at least six. As always, I wish you buon appetito.

About The Author: (C) 2004, Skip Lombardi
Skip Lombardi is the author of two cookbooks: "La Cucina dei Poveri: Recipes from my Sicilian Grandparents," and "Almost Italian: Recipes from America's Little Italys." He has been a Broadway musician, high-school math teacher, and software engineer, but has never let any of those pursuits get in the way of his passion for cooking and eating. Visit his site to learn more about his cookbooks.
http://www.skiplombardi.com or mailto:info@skiplombardi.com