Spring Minestrone With Kale And Pasta Recipes

SPRING MINESTRONE WITH KALE AND PASTA

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add shallots and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the ginger, if using, and garlic and stir until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer.
• Stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Stir in asparagus and peas and cook until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in kale and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide soup among bowls. Swirl in some pesto and top with Parmesan.

MINESTRONE WITH KALE AND TURKEY SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss the bread on a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing halfway through, until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned in spots and no longer pink, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onion, carrots, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper; cook until almost tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add the kale and cook until just wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, chickpeas, pasta, broth and 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the kale is tender and the pasta is al dente, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle the soup into bowls. Top with the croutons and season with pepper.

SPRING MINESTRONE WITH KALE AND PASTA

Steps:

• In a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Add shallots and celery and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the ginger, if using, and garlic and stir until very fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add stock and bring to a simmer.
• Stir in pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Stir in asparagus and peas and cook until vegetables and pasta are tender, about 3 minutes longer. Stir in kale and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide soup among bowls. Swirl in some pesto and top with Parmesan.

MINESTRONE WITH SPRING GREENS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onion and celery and season with salt and pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until just softened, about 1 minute.
• Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water, the Parmesan rind, 3/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the lima beans and escarole and cook until the beans are tender and the escarole is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the ditalini, return to a gentle simmer and cook until the pasta is tender, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally to prevent sticking, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. The soup should be thick, but if it is too thick, add more water or chicken broth 1/2 cup at a time. Season with salt and pepper and discard the Parmesan rind. Divide among bowls; drizzle with olive oil and top with pepper and grated Parmesan.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Prepare: 1 cup dried cannellini or borlotti beans (see page 78). This will yield 2 1/2 to 3 cups of cooked beans. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• Heat in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat: 1/4 cup olive oil.
• Add: 1 large onion, finely chopped, 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped.
• Cook for 15 minutes, or until tender. Add: 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, 5 thyme sprigs, 1 bay leaf, 2 teaspoons salt.
• Cook for 5 minutes longer. Add, and bring to a boil: 3 cups water.
• When boiling, add: 1 small leek, diced, 1/2 pound green beans, cut into 1-inch lengths.
• Cook for 5 minutes, then add: 2 medium zucchini, cut into small dice, 2 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped.
• Cook for 15 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust as necessary. Add the cooked beans, along with: 1 cup bean cooking liquid, 2 cups spinach leaves, coarsely chopped (about 1 pound).
• Cook for 5 minutes. If the soup is too thick, add more bean cooking liquid. Remove the bay leaf. Serve in bowls, each one garnished with: 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon or more grated Parmesan cheese.
• Fall Minestrone with Kale and Butternut Squash
• Follow the recipe, but add 2 finely chopped celery stalks to the soffritto and cook to a rich golden brown. Instead of thyme, add about 1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary and 1 teaspoon chopped sage with the garlic. Borlotti or cranberry beans can be substituted for the cannellini beans. Omit the green beans, zucchini, fresh tomatoes, and spinach, and use instead 1 bunch kale, stemmed, washed, and chopped; 1 small can of tomatoes, drained and chopped; and 1/2 butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups). Cook the tomatoes and kale with the soffritto for 5 minutes, add the water, and cook for 15 minutes. Add the squash and continue cooking until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes, before adding the cooked beans.
• Winter Minestrone with Turnips, Potatoes, and Cabbage
• Follow the recipe, but to the soffritto add 2 celery stalks, chopped fine, and cook to a rich golden brown. Cut up 1/2 head cabbage into bite-size pieces and cook until tender in salted boiling water. For the green beans, zucchini, and tomatoes, substitute 1 pound turnips and 1/2 pound yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces. If the turnips have fresh greens attached, stem, wash, and chop them and add them to the soup with the turnips and potatoes. Towards the end of the cooking, add the beans and, instead of the spinach, the cooked cabbage.
• Spring Minestrone with Peas and Asparagus
• Instead of carrot in the soffritto, use 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces. Do not let it brown. If green garlic is available, use 2 or 3 stalks, trimmed and chopped, instead of garlic cloves. Use 2 leeks instead of one. Add the liquid (half water, half broth, if possible), bring to a boil, and simmer for 10 minutes. Omit the green beans, zucchini, and tomatoes. Substitute 1 cup shelled peas (from 1 pound in the pod) and 1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Add with the beans and cook for 5 minutes before adding the spinach. If not serving this soup right away, cool it down quickly in an ice bath so the asparagus does not lose its bright green color.

MINESTRONE WITH KALE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, and add the onion and carrots.
• Cook, stirring often, until the onion turns translucent and the carrots glisten, about 7 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, for another minute or so, until the garlic begins to smell fragrant.
• Add the tomatoes and their liquid and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit.
• Add the beans, kale, parsley, water, and bay leaves.
• Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the flavors are all incorporated and the kale is tender.
• Add the cooked pasta, and stir to incorporate.
• Cook for 5 minutes more, tasting and adjusting the salt and pepper as needed, then remove from heat and serve.