Minestrone With Kale Food

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.

THE BEST MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the meat is golden brown on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the pancetta with a slotted spoon to a large bowl, leaving the fat in the pot.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, 4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Return the pancetta to the pot, stir in the tomatoes and 8 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are just tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add the kale, beans and their liquid and pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is cooked through and the kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve with grated Parmesan.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large bowl let the white beans soak in enough water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak them. Drain the white beans, in a saucepan combine them with enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and simmer them, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep them barely covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender. Add the salt and simmer the white beans for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the white beans stand, uncovered.
• In a heavy kettle cook the pancetta in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and pale golden, add the onion, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the carrots, the celery, and the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, the green beans, and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and the kale and cook the mixture, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour.
• Drain the white beans, reserving the liquid, in a blender or food processor purée half of them with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir the purée and the remaining white beans into the soup. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes, thin it if desired with some of the remaining reserve liquid, and season it with salt and pepper. The soup may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the soup, thinning it with water as desired. Serve the soup with the Parmesan, the bruschetta, and the sausages.

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.