Minestrone

Name: Minestrone
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 3/4 cup dried cannellini beans (5 ounces); 8 cups water, plus more for soaking; 1/2 large onion; 1 dried bay leaf; 2 ounces prosciutto ends (optional); 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 large celery stalk, minced; 1 medium carrot, peeled and minced; 1 large onion, peeled and minced (1 cup); 1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, quartered lengthwise, sliced 1/4 inch thick, and washed well (page 32); 3 garlic cloves, minced; 2 large celery stalks, sliced 1/4 inch thick; 2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal 1/4 inch thick; 1 large red potato, cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick; 4 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup); 1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes, crushed and juice reserved; 1 bunch tuscan kale (about 5 ounces), tough stems removed, leaves cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips; 1/4 head savoy cabbage, cored and very thinly sliced (about 2 cups); 4 cups Vegetable Stock (page 56); 1 rind (about 3 inches) parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus freshly grated cheese for serving (optional); 4 ounces prosciutto ends (optional); 1 dried bay leaf; 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes; Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper; Basil Pesto, for serving (page 379; optional)

January 26, 2012

Vegetable stock is an essential ingredient in many vegetarian soups, but it also provides incomparable flavor to many well-loved vegetable (but not necessarily meat-free) soups such as this one. Minestrone has become so familiar in the American kitchen that it might be easy to forget its Italian origins. But the name—minestre is the word for soup, while the suffix (-one) indicates bigness—hints at its universal appeal as a simple pantry-based soup that is also hearty and substantial. The foundation of flavor, called a soffritto, is a common element in soup-making: a trio of celery, carrots, and onion is sautéed first, then stock and more vegetables are added and slowly simmered to coax out their flavors. Beans are what distinguish minestrone from other vegetable soups; the type varies by region, as does the addition (if any) of pasta or rice (this version has neither). The beans are also what give the soup such heft, making it a good option for a meatless one-pot dish (if you leave out the prosciutto) that can stand as the centerpiece of any casual dinner. The beans need to soak overnight in the refrigerator, so plan accordingly. Then they need to boil for at least a half hour, so use that time to prepare the rest of the ingredients for the soffritto and soup.

Recipe notes