Garbanzo Minestrone Food

SWISS CHARD AND CHICKPEA MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about three minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the leek. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about three minutes. Add the garlic, stir for about a minute, and then stir in the water, tomato paste and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Add the Swiss chard and the pasta to the soup, bring back to a simmer, and simmer another 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Grind in some pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

GARDEN MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook the carrots, zucchini, onion and garlic in oil for 7 minutes or until onion is tender. Add the broth, V8 juice, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, green beans, macaroni and basil. Bring to a boil. , Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir in parsley. Cook 5 minutes longer or until macaroni is tender.

QUICK MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Make the soup base: In a medium-size heavy soup pot, combine the oil and pancetta over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat and cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the onion or shallots, celery and carrot. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to pot with cooked pancetta and adjust heat so the vegetables soften and cook without browning, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add the other vegetables: Stirring after each addition, add the kale or cabbage, celery, carrots, zucchini, beans and tomatoes. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Add the stock and 1 cup water (or, if you prefer a soup that's not as thick, add additional stock to taste, up to 2 cups). Add the herb sprigs. Cover, raise the heat and bring to a full boil. Uncover, lower the heat to a bubbly simmer, and cook 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Serve in bowls, drizzling a little olive oil and sprinkling a big pinch of cheese over each serving.

MINESTRONE WITH SHRIMP, GARBANZO BEANS, AND AUTUMN SQUASH

Steps:

• Soak dried beans at least 8 hours.
• Or bring to a rolling boil; remove from heat.
• Cover and let stand 1 hour.
• Simmer presoaked or quick-soaked beans for 30 minutes. Set aside.
• In 4-quart Dutch oven cook carrots, onions, and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat.
• Rinse and drain beans in colander.
• Add dried, precooked beans (NOT canned beans), chicken broth, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and bay leaf to Dutch oven.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add squash and tomato.
• If using canned beans, rinse, drain, and add with squash and tomato at this point.
• Cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes more or until beans and squash are tender.
• Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Stir in shrimp and basil.
• Bring just to boil.
• Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque.

CABBAGE MINESTRONE WITH CHICK PEAS

Steps:

• Drain the chick peas and set aside. Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is fragrant and the vegetables tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in half the minced 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 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have cooked down a bit. Add the cabbage, stir together for a minute, then add the drained chick peas, 2 quarts water, and the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 1 hour, or until the beans are just about tender.
• Add the remaining garlic and salt to taste, cover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes to an hour, until the beans are thoroughly cooked and the soup very fragrant. Add a cup more water if it seems too thick. Add pepper, taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is cooked al dente, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, passing the Parmesan at the table for sprinkling.

CONTEST-WINNING EASY MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil and butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer., Stir in the broth, tomato sauce, beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cabbage, basil, parsley, oregano and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add macaroni; cook, uncovered, 6-8 minutes or until macaroni and vegetables are tender., Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese. Freeze option: Before adding cheese, freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth or water if necessary.