SMOKEY MINESTRONE SOUP WITH PARSLEY PESTO

Monday, February 21, 2011

adapted from WinnieAb, winner of Your Best Minestrone Contest, at Food52.com

Winnie writes the food blog, Healthy Green Kitchen

Minestrone is a chunky Italian vegetable soup. It is cucina povera, peasant cooking, and therefor meant to be inexpensive, nutritious, and filling. There is no right way to make it. There is only a loose idea that everything in the soup should be made with things you already have on hand. Typically, it is tomato – based with chopped vegetables, beans, and pasta or rice, but there are many variations. I was recently tempted to make a recipe for a green minestrone made with broth, greens, potatoes, and pasta. I have also eaten a delicious vegetable-only version with rustic bread on the side for dipping.

This particular recipe calls for a wonderful variety of fresh vegetables, but most veggie-phobic children would never know it. Bits of smokey bacon and a generous portion of fresh cheese tortellini make the flavor irresistible. It is served with a dollop of pesto, a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, and a dash of balsamic vinegar. I thought it was fantastic. The children thought it the ultimate.

You may notice that there are many ingredients. Don’t let that intimidate you. You can easily throw this together any night of the week. Lovely aromas will fill your kitchen when you do. Children will perk up when they see the tortellini floating on top of tomato soup, but I would advise maintaining a poker face when you serve for the fresh and wholesome vegetables float just underneath the pasta. Let them taste it first.

Just to make you feel better, I will tell you that I cannot even mention to my children that there is kale in this soup. Kale is a spoiler at our table, so I disguise it to avoid the issue altogether. I put it into the food processor and let the machine take it down to a fine mush that looks very much like …. pesto. If the children ask, what is the green stuff? The answer is, that’s just parsley, Honey.

If a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down; then fried bacon bits and cheese tortellini will help the vegetables.

Soup:

3 Tbsp olive oil

2 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped (white and some of the green part)

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 zucchini, chopped

1 large waxy potato, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1 (15oz) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28 oz) can San Marzano tomatoes, with juice

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1-1 1/2 cup(s) kale, finely chopped, a food processor gets the job done quickly

1 (9oz) package high quality all natural cheese tortellini

aged balsamic vinegar to drizzle

Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Pesto:

1 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

2 Tbsp pine nuts

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. SAUTE INGREDIENTS FOR SOUP BASE: In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over MEDIUM heat. When oil is hot, add bacon and saute until browned. Add remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil followed by the onion, garlic, and leek. Saute until softened but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add carrot, celery, zucchini, and potato and saute 1-2 minutes more.

2. ADD STOCK AND SIMMER: Add chicken stock and garbanzo beans. As you add the tomatoes with their juice, crush the tomatoes with your fingers. Stir to combine and then raise the heat to HIGH and bring to a boil. Reduce heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until potatoes are tender, about 30-40 minutes.

3. ADD KALE AND TORTELLINI: Add the kale and tortellini to the soup and simmer until both are tender, 5-7 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

4. SERVE: Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish to taste with a dollop of pesto, a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, and a spoonful of parmesan cheese.

Peace and love from my kitchen to yours,

Waverly