Summer Minestrone
Where I live, it’s not uncommon to get some cool, cloudy days during the peak of summer. The time of year when the tomatoes finally ripen and everything coming out of the garden is perfect. It’s during this time, on one of those cool days, that I make the classic soup called Minestrone (“big soup” in Italian). It’s a very substantial mixed vegetable soup that’s cooked very slowly over a low heat. Yes, it requires quite a bit of chopping, but I never mind that, so long as I’ve got a nice sharp knife and some good music playing in the kitchen. Minestrone is even better the next day, so it’s worth making plenty. This recipe makes a big pot.
Minestrone (adapted from ‘My Kitchen in Rome’ by Rachel Roddy)
2 onions
3 carrots
2 celery stalks
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 medium sized potatoes
1 medium or 3 small zucchini
half a pound of green beans
1 small savoy or green cabbage
3 medium sized tomatoes
6 1/2 cups chicken bone broth or water
a large Parmesan rind
2 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans
Finely dice the onions, carrots, and celery. In a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat the butter and olive oil over low heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook gently, uncovered until soft and fragrant., about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, dice the potatoes, zucchini, and cut green beans into 1 inch pieces. Add the potatoes to the pot, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Cut the cabbage into shreds and roughly chop the tomatoes. Add the green beans and zucchini and after 5 more minutes, add the shredded cabbage. Add the tomatoes, stir, and increase the heat so everything bubbles a bit more rapidly for a few minutes. Then add the broth and the Parmesan rind, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer. Cover the pan and leave for an hour, stirring occasionally. After an hour, add the cannellini beans, stir, and cook for another 30 minutes. when the minestrone has finished cooking, remove the Parmesan rind. An optional step is to transfer one fifth of the soup into a separate bowl and purée that portion with an immersion blender before returning it to the rest of the soup. Taste the soup and add salt as needed. Serve with sourdough bread and plenty of grated Parmesan cheese.