Monday, January 11, 2010

HONORING NATIONAL SOUP MONTH ~ MINESTRONE with WINTER PESTO

"To feel safe and warm on a cold wet night,
all you really need is soup.”

~ Laurie Colwin

View from library window
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MINESTRONE with WINTER PESTO

~ Warming favorite for a cold winter night
(adapted from an old 1983 January Bon Appetit)

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1/2 cup dried, rinsed and sorted navy beans (preferably Michigan)
4 minced cloves garlic
4 chopped medium onions
3 chopped celery stalks plus leaves
1 diced potato
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
5 1/2 cups organic beef broth
2 chopped tomatoes (about 12 oz.)
6 Tbsp. tomato paste
3 diced carrots
8 oz. fresh diagonally sliced green beans
2 diced zucchini
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme (1 tsp. dried)
1-2 tsp. dried oregano
coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

WINTER PESTO

  • Let navy beans soak overnight. Drain and transfer to large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat olive oil in large stockpot. Add garlic, onions, celery and potato and cook until limp but not brown. Add 1 1/2 cup broth, cover and cook 20 minutes until soft. Strain onion mixture returning broth to stockpot. Puree in food processor for 1 minute. Return to stockpot. Add cooked navy beans, remaining broth, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Blend well.
  • Add chopped carrots, green beans and zucchini to pot. Add thyme and oregano. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Serve piping hot with a dollop of WINTER PESTO and crusty rustic bread. (12 servings)

WINTER PESTO

2 large cloves garlic
3 oz. good Parmesan cheese (preferably imported), cut into 3 pieces
2 cups tightly packed stemmed spinach leaves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or walnuts
2 Tbsp. dried basil
1 tsp. coarse salt
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • Using steel blade of food processor, drop garlic through running blade of feed tube and mine finely. Add cheese and chop using 4 on/off turns until finely minced, about 1 minute.
  • Add spinach, nuts, basil and salt. Blend 10 seconds. With machine running, pour oil through feed tube in slow, steady stream and blend well. Transfer to small bowl and serve with soup. (1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cups)

12 comments:

Unknown said...

MMMMMMMm....minestrone! We're polishing off some turkey vegetable soup and unrolled cabbage rolls that DH made, but I think I should put this in the queue for later this week.

inadvertent farmer said...

Oh how I love soup...I will defiantly have to give this yummy recipe a try, thanks Joey! Kim

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Joey, This sounds wonderful. You must be a wonderful cook! :-) I'd love to try this and have just now printed the recipe. Thanks, again! Happy Snowy Days.

joey said...

Even the name, how minestrone rolls off the tongue, is delicious, Jodi! If this doesn't suit your fancy, I have several other minestrone recipes posted. I think I'm smitten with DH and how he likes to cook for you :)

Soup is love, Kim ... good stuff! Stay warm, dear friend.

A good portion of seasonal favorites posted here are soup, Shady! Though hard to write as a recipe, since taste related, hope those who love to cook will adjust flavors and ingredients to their liking. Thank you for your compliment ... this much I know is true ~ I love to cook and know many who love to eat :) Happy Winter!

donna said...

My hubby wasn't feeling well yesterday. I fed him Wyler's Mrs. Grass soup. What does that say about me? I best get going in the homemade soup department.

I've luved the golden nugget in the Mrs. Grass soup since I've been a kid. But, all that sodium is a problem.

donna

Victoria said...

Wow..cool..thanks for introducing me to National Soup month! Great choice..and I am a pesto fanatic..lovely post and recipes!

Rose said...

Minestrone is one of my favorites--this sounds delicious, Joey! Nothing like a bowl of hot soup to warm you up on these cold winter days.

Roses and Lilacs said...

Lovely photo. Is that fog or blowing snow? We have a warm up coming and with all the snow on the ground we will certainly get fog.

Minestrone soup would be perfect for my Dad who is a little under the weather today.
Marnie

Anonymous said...

Every time you post a soup recipe in the winter, I always have to stop and say Mmmmm. Nothing better on a cold day. But then again, I eat and enjoy soup even in the heat of summer!

Nutty Gnome said...

I love soup! This minestrone recipe sounds gorgeous - as does the pesto!
We had pumpkin and chilli soup for lunch on Sunday ...that certainly warmed us up :)

joey said...

Hum Donna, forgot about Mrs. Grass soup and the golden nugget :) Actually just finished another huge vat of French Onion Soup (request for tonight from our OOT dinner guest) and some wonderful Arborio Rice Pudding!

Thanks Kiki! January is the perfect month to post many favorite hearty soups (and I have many as well as many favorite pesto recipes)!

Almost and every day fare for me in winter, Rose :) Never boring ...

Sorry to hear about your father, Marnie. Soup is one of the 1st gifts I send to ailing friends/neighbors. Do hope warmer days are looming for both of us ... I hate spending time indoors unless I must!

Hi Robin ~ as you well know by now, I too am crazy about soup ... year round! Stay warm, Toots!

Another soup goddess has arrived ... Hi Nutty! Join the soup club :) I adore pumpkin chili but haven't made a batch since October. Hum ...

Anonymous said...

I like your photo. And the soup sounds good.

I also posted a picture of soup on my blog today.

Thanks for your comment and visit.