SOUP
 

Minestrone:
A very hearty soup, a meal unto itself.

There are many variations to Minestrone, this is just a guideline to the basic ingredients, use whatever vegetables you like or that are in season.

This is one version of Minestrone. There are about as many as there are combinations of vegetables.  Sometimes they contain pasta, sometimes they contain rice and sometimes the mixture is thick with lentils.  But don't worry, you will never find a lentil in any of my recipes! ( never being fond of them! )
When making Minestrone there are just two serious rules, use a lot vegetables and don't forget the cheese rind.

*NOTE: Remember this is a guideline and not "pharmacology" no measurements are precise.  A "pinch of this and a pinch of that" is the way I cook, you're a cook not a pharmacist!  The basis of Minestrone is to sauté each vegetable individually in the oil, garlic, onion base and not dump all the vegetables into boiling water.
 
 

3 large tomatoes, chopped coarse or canned tomatoes chopped
3 carrots, cubed
3 zucchini, sliced thin
2 large yellow onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup of fresh parsley, chopped fine
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 cup celery, diced, include leaves
1/2 lb escarole, chopped coarse
1/2 cup dry white beans
1/2 cup garbanzo beans (ceci beans)
1/2 cup fava beans ( if available or lima beans )
4 large cloves garlic, minced
Bouquet Garni-sprig of parsley, sprig of fresh rosemary and 1 bay leaf tied together
salt to taste
black pepper to taste
6 quarts water or chicken stock
1 cup small macaroni ( small elbows, Ditali or Ditalini)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 lb cheese rind from Parmesan or Romano Cheese
( if you don't have cheese rind, use grated cheese in the cooking process.  It infuses the soup with a taste you will enjoy).

Soak dry white beans overnight and then drain.  Heat olive oil over medium to high heat in a 10 quart pot, add garlic, sauté, add onions and sauté lightly, add veggies and sauté - add remaining ingredients, except pasta.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.  Add pasta and cook 10 mins.  Remove cheese rind and Bouquet Garni before serving.  To serve, sprinkle a dash of olive oil over the top of soup in each bowl and sprinkle on some fresh grated Parmesan cheese or Romano, which ever you prefer.  Serve with fresh crusty  Italian or French bread, crackers are too wimpy to handle this soup!

This makes a large amount so you can freeze unused portion.

Quick Minestrone:

Ingredients:
1/4 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tbsp butter
3 large onions finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 lb carrots-diced
2 sticks celery-diced
1/2 lb potatoes-diced
1/2 lb cooked white beans or canned
1/4 green beans-cut in half
1/4 lb zucchini-chopped
3 beef stock ( bouillon ) cubes
1 can of Italian tomatoes (plum tomatoes), or regular tomatoes
1/4 lb of cheese rind.
Grated Parmesan cheese ( or Romano)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the butter together with the oil over a medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots and celery one vegetable at a time to the oil and butter mix in a large pot.  Cook each for 2-3 minutes without browning.
Stir in the white and green beans.  Add the zucchini.
Crumble in the stock cubes and stir in 2 1/2 pints of water.  Stir in the tomatoes and add the whole cheese rind.
Cook the whole mixture together until you have a substantially thick soup-a consistency you must decide for yourself.
Once you have it the way you like it, add water to maintain the consistency, if necessary, until the soup is thoroughly cooked- about 20 minutes. Season before serving and remember to remove the cheese rind.

Serves 6-8.

Italian Wedding Soup-Regional Version:

1/2 lb Ground beef
1/2 lb Ground veal
1/4 C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 Egg
1 tbsp. Parsley chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
4 C. Chicken broth ( Homemade would be best )
2 C. Spinach leaves cut into pieces
1/4 C. Grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/2 Cup of tiny pasta like Orzo-cooked.

Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, egg, parsley, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix well and form into tiny meat balls. * That means real tiny, the size of a cherry.  Bake on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 350F.  Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil and add spinach. Cover and boil for 5 minutes.  Add the meatballs to the hot broth, bring to a simmer, add pasta.  Stir in the cheese and serve immediately.

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