Minestrone With Shell Beans And Almond Pistou Food

MINESTRONE WITH SHELL BEANS AND ALMOND PISTOU

Steps:

• In a large pot over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Tie rosemary, thyme and parsley in a bundle with kitchen string if desired (this makes it easier to fish out later). Add the herbs, leeks, garlic, zucchini or yellow squash, carrot, salt and pepper to the pot and sauté until the vegetables are golden, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add broth, shell beans, tomatoes, green beans and 4 cups water to the pot. Simmer partly covered until the beans are tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Discard herbs. Thin with a little water if the soup is too thick.
• Prepare the pistou: Pulse the basil, almonds, tomato, Parmesan, garlic and salt in a food processor until basil is chopped and all the ingredients are combined. Drizzle in olive oil while the motor runs and continue processing until a paste forms. Serve the soup with dollops of the pistou, letting people add more as needed.

MINESTRONE SOUP WITH PASTA, BEANS AND VEGETABLES

Steps:

• In a slow cooker, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, thyme, sage, bay leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.
• Thirty minutes before the soup is done cooking, add ditalini, zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Remove bay leaves and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle parmesan cheese over top. Garnish with basil, if desired.

HEARTY AND HEALTHY 3 BEAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Set aside or prepare the stock and roasted tomatoes.
• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat, add extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the prosciutto and stir a couple of minutes. Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and chile pepper, season with salt, and pepper. If you are using potatoes, add them here. If you are using pasta, heat a second medium pot of water to a boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Cool the pasta and drizzle with a touch of extra-virgin olive oil. Cover and store separately from the soup. Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, prepared stock and prepared tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil and add the green beans. Bring the soup back to a bubble, then turn off the heat and cool the soup. Store the soup in the refrigerator for a make-ahead meal.
• To reheat the soup: Place the soup over medium-high heat. Crisp up the bread in a warm oven. When the soup comes to a boil, stir in the cooked pasta, escarole, and a little lemon zest. Turn off the heat when pasta is warmed through. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with cheese, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and crusty bread alongside for mopping.
• For the stock:
• Place the cheese rind, herb bundle, onion, celery, carrots, lemon rind, bay leaves, chicken stock, and water into a pot and bring to a bubble, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer at least 1 hour, and then remove the rind, herb bundle, and vegetables with a slotted spoon or strainer.
• For the tomatoes:
• Heat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Arrange the tomatoes on a baking sheet or baking sheets in a single layer. Scatter the garlic among the tomatoes, dress with extra-virgin olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they burst and skins split and begin to char, about 30 minutes. Cool the tomatoes until cool enough to handle and peel. Place the tomatoes in a bowl.

MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a stockpot, saute the onions, celery and parsley in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cabbage, carrots, basil, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour. , In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir into soup along with the zucchini, beans and pasta. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables and pasta are tender. Top each serving with cheese.

SHELLFISH MINESTRONE WITH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Make the basil pesto: Put basil, parsley and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a blender. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and purée on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary. Pour into a small serving bowl, cover tightly and set aside.
• Make the soup: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add red pepper, saffron, 8 cloves minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme and let sizzle, then add tomato and simmer a few minutes more.
• Stir in cannellini beans. Add clams, in one layer if possible, and 1 cup water. Turn heat to high and put on lid. Keep at a rapid simmer until all clams have opened, about 5 minutes. (If desired, remove clams, shuck them and return shucked clams to pot.) Add fish stock and bring to a simmer. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.
• Just before serving, add squid, peas and fava beans, if desired, and simmer for 2 minutes. Ladle into shallow soup bowls and stir 2 teaspoons basil purée into each.

SPILL-THE-BEANS MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until onion is tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, kale, water, pasta, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

SHELLING-BEAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Combine shelled beans, fennel bulb, whole shallot, halved carrot, and smashed garlic cloves in a medium pot; add water to cover by 2 inches. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are creamy in centers, 40 to 50 minutes. Season to taste toward end of cooking.
• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and prepare an ice bath. Using a paring knife, lightly score bottom of each tomato with an X. Add tomatoes to boiling water and blanch until skin pulls away, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to ice bath. When cool enough to handle, peel tomatoes, remove seeds, and coarsely chop. (You should have about 2 1/2 cups.)
• Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high until shimmering. Add chopped fennel and shallot and sliced carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden in places, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic; cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring, until toasted, 1 minute more. Add chopped tomatoes; cook until tomato juices reduce slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in pole beans and water or stock; season. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and partially cover. Simmer until vegetables are tender and flavors meld, about 30 minutes.
• Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente; drain. Stir 2 cups cooked shelling beans into soup; season with salt and vinegar to taste. Just before serving, stir in greens. Divide pasta and soup among bowls, and serve with a drizzle of oil and sprinkles of parsley and red-pepper flakes.

KALE MINESTRONE WITH PISTOU

Steps:

• Minestrone:
• Tie oregano, rosemary, and bay leaves together with kitchen twine.
• Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Add pancetta, if using, and cook, stirring often, until browned around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add onion, leek, carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes; season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and carrots are tender, 10-12 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring to coat, until slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands as you go, then herb bundle, Parmesan rind, if using, and 6 cups water or reserved bean cooking liquid, or a combination. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender and flavors have melded, 20-25 minutes. Add kale and beans; cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Discard Parmesan rind and herb bundle.
• Do ahead: Soup can be made 2 days ahead (or 2 months if frozen). Let cool; transfer to airtight containers and chill.
• Pistou and assembly:
• Pulse garlic and basil in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in oil, Parmesan, and lemon zest; season with salt. Serve soup topped with pistou.

BUSH'S RED, WHITE AND BEAN MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a medium saute pan. Add sauage, brown well.
• Add tomato paste, cook 5 minutes till brown.
• Add onions thru oregano. Cook till garlic is aromatic, about 5 minutes.
• Pour into a 4 quart slow cooker. Add tomatoes and chicken stock.
• Cook on low setting for 6-7 hours or till vegetables are tender.
• Stir in beans, zucchini, spinach, and pasta. Cook on high setting for 8 minutes or until beans and pasta are warmed thru and spinach has wilted.
• Pour the soup into bowls. Top with pesto and parmesan cheese.

MINESTRONE-STUFFED SHELLS

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta shells in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain.
• Cook and stir ground beef, bell pepper, onion, and salt in a skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and crumbly, 5 to 10 minutes; drain. Mix kidney beans, mozzarella cheese, and pesto into ground beef mixture.
• Spoon 1/4 cup ground beef mixture into each pasta shell. Arrange stuffed shells in a serving dish and top with pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese.

MINESTRONE WITH WHITE BEANS AND ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a lare pot heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon.
• Reduce the heat to moderate. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaf to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile combine 2 cups of the beans and 2 cups of the water in a blender and puree until smoooth.
• Add the tomatoes, the bean puree, the remaining 8 cups water, the salt, and the pepper, to the pot. Bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the surface. Stir in the sausage, the remaining 2 cups bean, and the spinach. Simmer until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Serve the soup topped with grated parmesan, and pass more Parmesan at the table.