Goodbye, Winter! Minestrone

I think, alas, it might finally be time for Spring in New York.  It's been a wild ride, this winter, and I am fully embracing the rainy season that carries the sunshine on its heels.  I'm saying farewell to winter, and the last of the hearty and comforting soups of this season with my Minestrone.

Minestrone, can be boring, delightful or surprising.  One of the great things about it is that it's simple, but we get out of it exactly what we put into it.  With love, attention, fresh ingredients and showers of flavor with sprinkles of seasoning it can be a great transition meal.  The one that carries us from April showers into May flowers, heats us up after a walk through the rain but isn't so heavy that it lulls us into the winter drag. 

From here on out, my soups will be bright, fresh and light, so use this one on a rainy day or if you're in the Southern Hemisphere like many of my lovely readers, then here's a great start on your winter soups!

Me? I'm ready for the sun on my face, flowers in my pot, herbs in my planter and delicate chilled soups.  Here's my recipe for "Seasons Changing Minestrone."

Ingredients:
Serves 8

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 spanish onions, diced
2 leeks, white parts only, rinsed and sliced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
2 waxy potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 sprigs thyme, leaves minced
1 sprig rosemary, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb. red cabbage, chopped
1/2 lb. swiss chard, chopped and thick stems removed
8 oz. savoy cabbage, chopped
1/2 c. dry white wine
2 T. tomato paste
3/4 c. cannellini beans, rinsed and drained (either canned or soaked overnight and cooked)
1/2 can peeled Italian tomatoes and juice
1 leftover parmesan cheese rind
1 c. tubettini or other small pasta
1/2 lemon

Method:
1. Take out a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or enameled cast iron pot and heat the olive oil over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic and herbs and cook stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften.  About 5 minutes.  Add the cabbages and cook, pour in the white wine, stir in the tomato paste, season with salt and pepper and cook until cabbages have softened and wilted, about 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to low and cook another 10 minutes.

2. Add the cannellini beans, tomatoes and parmesan rind.  Add enough water to cover the vegetables by about 2 inches.  Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer about 35 minutes.

3. Add the pasta, stir to incorporate, cover and let simmer another 7-8 minutes. 

4. Turn off heat after soup has cooked and pasta is done.  Squeeze 1/2 lemon directly into pot and stir.  Ladle the soup into large bowls, serve with a crusty bread and enjoy!

Comments

[Lydia]

A good minestrone is welcome in any season! Glad to see you use a leftover parm rind; ever since I discovered this trick, I've been saving rinds. It makes a huge difference in the final taste of the soup, doesn't it?

[Stephanie Beack]

Lydia, indeed it makes a huge difference. Even if you add fresh parmesan grated at the end, nothing compares to cooking with the rind to extract that luscious and slightly pungent saltiness of the rind. I also make minestrone in other seasons too, I must confess. Just add the fresh vegetables of the season like zucchini, garden tomatoes, green beans...

[Matt]

Now that looks like a great soup! I made a Minestrone a few months ago when it was cold, cold, cold outside and it turned out OK. I think it was based on Olive Garden's Minestrone - but this one - Wow! It's going right into my recipe collection. It looks great!

[Stephanie Beack]

Matt, glad it appeals to you. Let me know what you think of it! Please, when you make it, make sure to include the parmesan cheese rind and the lemon at the end. These two special touches really make this soup memorable and really delicious.

[Matt]

I forgot to ask you this, or I already did ask you but don't recall asking... What kind of camera do you use?