Recipe
March 2, 2011
Midwinter Minestrone Recipe
Step 1: Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the pancetta to the pot (if using) and cook until crispy, 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, and onions to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 7-8 minutes more.
Step 2: Add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, stock, and 2 cups water to the pot, and bring up to a boil.
Step 3: Hold the kale by the stems and curl up your opposite hand around the greens at the base of the stem. With a quick jerking motion strip the greens off and away from the stems and chop the greens.
Step 4: Add the kale, pasta, and chickpeas to the soup pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaves.
Step 5: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls, top with the cheese, and serve.
Reprinted with permission from Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook (2010 Clarkson Potter).
Directions
Yield:
Step 1: Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat with the olive oil. Add the pancetta to the pot (if using) and cook until crispy, 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, bay leaves, garlic, and onions to the pot, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the veggies are tender, 7-8 minutes more.
Step 2: Add the mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, stock, and 2 cups water to the pot, and bring up to a boil.
Step 3: Hold the kale by the stems and curl up your opposite hand around the greens at the base of the stem. With a quick jerking motion strip the greens off and away from the stems and chop the greens.
Step 4: Add the kale, pasta, and chickpeas to the soup pot, and cook until the pasta is al dente. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the bay leaves.
Step 5: Ladle the soup into shallow bowls, top with the cheese, and serve.
Reprinted with permission from Rachael Ray’s Look + Cook (2010 Clarkson Potter).
[img_assist|nid=2012771|title=|desc=|link=none|align=center|width=225|height=279]Ben Fink