Minestrone Soup

Minestrone, or "Big Soup," is another favorite Italian recipe that can be found on most Italian-American restaurant menus. It is as common as pasta in Italy, and every region, village and family has its own recipe. Minestrone is an easy soup to make but it can be time-consuming, depending on how many kinds of vegetables you want to use. Because minestrone was initially made to utilize leftovers, this hearty vegetable soup can be easily adapted to your taste from a very basic recipe.

I like making minestrone in the summer because of the variety of fresh local vegetables that can be found at farmers markets. While many recipes call for dried beans, I find that when inspiration strikes I don't want to wait, so I often use canned beans. Minestrone makes a good first course or a simple dinner. To make it more substantial you can add ground beef, ground sausage, pancetta, small ravioli or tortellini to the basic recipe. If adding meat, sauté the meat first in olive oil and drain well, then continue on with the recipe. I like cooking the small stuffed pastas separately and adding them, well-drained, to the finished soup.

Minestrone, like many Italian recipes, tastes even better the next day and can be frozen (if you omit the pasta) until you're reheating the soup. If you're lucky enough to have an end of Parmigiano Romano in the fridge, toss it in to the soup when you add the liquid for great flavor. A 1/2 cup of red or white wine can also be added before you add the vegetable broth.

Minestrone soup

8 servings

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onion
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup zucchini cut into half moons
• 1/2 cup yellow squash cut into half moons
• 1/2 cup frozen cut green beans
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans, drained
• 2 (15 ounce) cans small white beans
• 1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 3 cups hot water
• 4 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup small pasta--try orzo, tubetti, ditalini, elbow, shell or a mixture
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Preparation

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
2. Sauté onions, celery and carrots until the onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic, green beans, zucchini and yellow squash to the oil and sauté for 5 minutes.
4. Add broth, spices and water to the pot.
5. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
6. Add spinach leaves and pasta and cook until pasta is tender but still firm to the bite.
7. Garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese.

Minestrone alla Genovese is a classic variation. In this version the finished soup is topped with a spoonful of fresh pesto sauce. Experiment by using different seasonal vegetables and herbs. Try cauliflower, red potatoes, fennel, kale, Swiss chard, pumpkin, green beans, peas, cannallini beans and your favorites. If you like a thicker soup, use more vegetables and less liquid.