Summer Minestrone Salad Recipes

SUMMER MINESTRONE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil. Stir in soup mix and simmer 11 minutes; remove from heat (vegetables and pasta will still be firm).
• Stir in corn, chickpeas, and vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.

MINESTRONE SALAD

Steps:

• 1. Place 12 ounces fingerling or baby red potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes. Spread them out on a baking sheet to cool, then slice the potatoes into 1/2-inch coins.
• 2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 1 teaspoon salt. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Add 8 ounces green beans, cut in half, and 1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces so they're about the size of the pasta you're using, and blanch the vegetables just until they're bright green, 1 to 2 minutes. Scoop the vegetables out of the hot water with a spider or a strainer, rinse them with cold water, and submerge them in the ice water until completely cool, then drain, pat dry, and set aside.
• 3. Add 1 pound gemelli or tubetti (or any short pasta you choose) to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta and put it in a large bowl to cool a bit.
• 4. Toss in the potatoes, asparagus, green beans, 1/2 cup pesto, one 15 1/2-ounce can cannellini beans (drained and rinsed), one 6-ounce jar roasted peppers, sliced into strips, and salt and pepper to taste. If preparing ahead of time, combine all of the ingredients 1 to 2 hours before serving.

MINESTRONE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt to the boiling water. Add gemelli, and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water; set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add carrot, and cook until it softens, about 4 minutes. Add zucchini, green beans, and corn. Cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, 10 to 15 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a medium bowl to cool. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, beans, tomatoes, and reserved pasta. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

LATE SUMMER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Put 3 tablespoons oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. When hot, add onion, carrots, and zucchini. Cook, stirring, until onion softens and vegetables begin to caramelize, 10 minutes or so.
• Add corn and beans; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, for a minute or 2, then add 6 cups water and tomato; bring to a boil, then adjust heat so mixture bubbles gently. Cook, stirring every now and then, until vegetables are fairly soft and tomatoes have broken up, about 15 minutes.
• Add 1/2 cup basil and adjust heat once again so mixture simmers. Cook until all vegetables are very tender, 5 to 15 minutes longer. Taste and adjust seasoning, drizzle with remaining olive oil, and serve, passing basil and cheese at table.

ABRUZZO SUMMER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onions and carrots and cook, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the chicken broth, chard, pasta, green beans, oregano, pasta sauce, cannellini beans, squash, zucchini, 1 cup water, 2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the pasta is cooked and the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Divide among 6 bowls and top with the torn basil and Parmesan.

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
• While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
• Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
• Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

**MINESTRONE SALAD**

Steps:

• Cook pasta to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; rinse with.
• cold water to cool.
• In large bowl, combine cooked pasta and all remaining.
• ingredients; mix well.
• Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until.
• serving time.

SUMMER MINESTRONE AL PESTO

Steps:

• Set a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat, and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to color, 5 or 6 minutes.
• Add garlic, bay leaf, tomato paste and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute, then add wine, if using, and tomatoes, and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Add 8 cups water and a good pinch of salt and let mixture return to a brisk simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then taste for seasoning. The broth should be well seasoned before the vegetables go in.
• Make the pesto: As the broth simmers, pound the garlic and salt to a paste in a large mortar. Beginning with a few basil leaves at a time, pound basil to a paste, then add parsley leaves and a little salt. Continue to pound until all the basil and parsley have been pounded into a coarse green paste. (Alternatively, many people may wish to make the pesto in a food processor.)
• Transfer to a serving bowl and whisk in olive oil and Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside covered with a thin layer of oil or with plastic film pressed against its surface to prevent oxidation.
• Add the zucchini, romano beans and pasta to the simmering broth and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Add green beans and cook for a minute or 2.
• Ladle soup into bowls, topping each with a dollop of pesto. Pass more grated Parmesan at the table.

MINESTRONE PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; add to bean mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving.

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and next 7 ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; simmer 3 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 bowls; garnish each with 1 tablespoon pesto. Serve, passing cheese separately.

SUMMER MINESTRONE SALAD

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil. Stir in soup mix and simmer 11 minutes; remove from heat (vegetables and pasta will still be firm).
• Stir in corn, chickpeas, and vinegar. Let sit for 15 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients.
• Serve warm, room temperature, or chilled.

MINESTRONE-STYLE SHRIMP SALAD

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, pesto, garlic, salt and pepper. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain. , In a large bowl, combine the pasta, beans, tomato, corn, celery, onion, carrot, red peppers, parsley and dressing. Divide salad greens between 2 plates; top with pasta mixture and shrimp. If desired, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.