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Garden Vegetable Minestrone

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~ Abraham Maslow

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Garden Vegetable Minestrone

The White Dog Cafe Cookbook:
Recipes and Tales of Adventure from
Philadelphia's Revolutionary Restaurant
by Judy Wicks and Kevin von Klause, 1998, Running Press

(Serves 6 to 8)

“In Italian, minestrone means ‘big soup’ – an apt description since this soup
uses just about every vegetable in your garden. Use the vegetables suggested
below as a guide and feel free to substitute whatever is coming up in your
own backyard or farmers’ market.”

Beans:
1 cup dried white beans, such as
Great Northern or cannelloni
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 small yellow onion, peeled
1 bay leaf

Soup:  
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, minced
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 small zucchini, diced
1 small yellow squash, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 small fennel bulb, stalks removed,
cored, and diced
1 celery rib, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 plum tomato, diced
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups (about 14 ounces) chopped
canned tomatoes
2 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

1. Prepare the beans:  Combine the beans, garlic cloves, peeled onion
half, and 1 bay leaf in a large saucepan. Add water to cover by 4
inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer until the beans are completely cooked through, about 1 hour.
If necessary, add water to the beans while they are cooking to keep
them submerged and to create a bean broth that will add body and
liquid to the soup. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid
separately. Discard the garlic, onion and bay leaf.
2. Prepare the soup:  Heat the olive oil in a large, nonreactive stockpot
set over medium-high heat until it ripples. Add the minced onion and
sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and
sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes
more. Add the zucchini, yellow squash, carrot, fennel, celery, bell
pepper, tomato and the remaining bay leaf. Sauté until the vege-
tables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
3. Add the wine, chopped tomatoes, reserved beans, and 3 cups of the
bean broth. Stir in the water, salt, black pepper, pepper flakes, thyme
and basil. Bring the soup to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer for 20 minutes. Serve immediately, or let cool to room
temperature, cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
4. To serve, divide the soup among 6 to 8 warmed bowls or soup plates.
Top with lots of the grated cheese. This soup is also delicious with a
swirl of basil pesto…
 

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