Minestrone Fredda Recipes

WINTER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, pancetta, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the Swiss chard and potato. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and rosemary sprigs. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chard is wilted and the tomatoes are very soft, about 10 minutes.
• In a food processor or blender, combine 3/4 of the beans with 1/2 cup of broth. Blend until almost smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining broth, and Parmesan rind to the vegetable mixture. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potato pieces are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining beans and the parsley. Simmer until the beans are heated through and the soup is thick, about 2 minutes. Discard the rosemary stems (the leaves will have fallen off) and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic and rosemary until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in tomato sauce, beans and 2 1/2 cups water. Add broth, zucchini, pasta and pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese and additional parsley, if desired.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a stockpot, saute the onions, celery and parsley in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. , In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir into soup along with the zucchini, beans and pasta. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with cheese.

LUCINDA'S MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Place 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the onion, and garlic in a large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the zucchini and the celery and keep cooking, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes more. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil and the cauliflower and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, as the vegetables slowly begin to soften. Stir in the green beans, cabbage, and remaining olive oil and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and 2 cups water and simmer until all of the vegetables are softened, 5 to 8 minutes more.
• Add the salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese rind and stir. Add more water if needed for the desired consistency -- it should be very thick. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add the chickpeas and basil sprigs and cook until chickpeas are heated through, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve in bowls with the Parmesan cheese grated over top and freshly ground pepper, and drizzle with olive oil.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, carrots, celery, red-pepper flakes, rosemary, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to turn golden, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add tomatoes; cook until some of the liquid evaporates, 1 minute. Add potato, cabbage, cannellini beans, and 7 cups water; bring to a boil. Stir in green beans.
• Reduce to a simmer, and cook until all the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; stir in garlic, if using, and basil. Serve sprinkled with Parmesan and, if using, torn basil. Drizzle with more oil, if desired.

MINESTRONE FREDDA

Steps:

• Make a battuto by mashing garlic and chopping finely, together with parsley, onion, sage and, if used, bacon. In a soup kettle, saute the battuto in olive oil over medium heat until onion starts to brown.
• While battuto is cooking, scrape and thinly slice carrots. Thinly slice celery stalk. Cut zucchini into strips approximately one inch long and half an inch wide. Scrape potatoes and cut into large dice. Shred 8 leaves of basil, reserving the rest for garnish. Cut tomatoes into chunks. Shell beans, if using fresh ones. Place all these vegetables in the kettle with battuto and stir to mix well. Add about 10 cups water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer gently 40 minutes.
• Test beans to see if they are done. They should be tender, but not falling apart. If potatoes have not disintegrated in the broth, mash them coarsely with a fork against the side of the kettle to thicken the soup. Add shelled peas, cover and cook 15 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Separate cabbage leaves, cut out the thick central ribs and discard. Shred cabbage. Add to kettle with rice and a pinch of salt, if desired. Stir and continue cooking until rice starts to soften but still has bite to it - al dente.
• Remove from heat. Soup may be served immediately, sprinkled with fresh Parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and remaining basil, minced. Or serve it as the Milanese do in the summer: Fill soup plates and sprinkle each portion with grated parmesan, pepper and basil. Then cover each plate with a cloth and set aside to cool. Do not refrigerate, and do not cover with plastic or foil - the hot soup will sweat and the moisture will drip back into it.

FISH MINESTRONE WITH HERB SAUCE

Steps:

• For the Fish Minestrone: Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the leeks, carrots, zucchini, and green beans. Stir to combine and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the beans and the chicken broth. Cook until the broth is simmering and the beans are warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season the fish filets with the salt and pepper and add them to the simmering soup. Simmer until the fish is cooked, about 7 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
• For the Herb Sauce: While the fish cooks, combine the parsley, oregano, garlic, and red wine vinegar in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the herbs are almost a paste. Add the olive oil in a steady stream while the machine is running. Season with salt and pepper.
• To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top each serving with a spoonful of the herb sauce. Serve immediately.

MINESTRONE - MARGARET FULTON'S

Steps:

• The day before required, put shin of beef on bone, water and beans into a large saucepan. Bring to boil, skim. Cover and simmer for 3 hours.
• Cool and chill.
• Next day saute garlic, onion, parsley, minced steak and pepper in oil until the onion is tender.
• Skim off fat from stock. Remove bone, cut off meat. Return meat to stock with the onion mixture, celery, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and salt.
• Simmer, covered, 20 minutes.
• Add spagetti and peas and cook for about another 15 minutes.
• Check seasoning to taste.
• Serve and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.