I spent a semester of college studying in Italy. Unsurprisingly, the food remains one of the most memorable things about the experience. Many years have passed, but I still crave the meals I enjoyed there.
Our school was housed in a former monastery in a small Tuscan hill town. Every day two local chefs cooked lunch and dinner for the hundred students at the school. Their classic Tuscan meals boasted fresh, local ingredients and were full of flavor. On chilly, winter days the menu often included a hearty soup. This recipe is adapted from one made at the school. Chock full of vegetables, this hearty soup feels like a perfect recipe for the New Year.
This recipe requires some preparation, but it is well worth it. Soaking the beans overnight and slowly simmering make them perfectly tender. Half of these beans will be pureed to create a velvety, creamy base for the soup without using any cream.
Tuscan Minestrone
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried white beans soaked overnight
- 1 handful salt
- 1 pinch baking soda
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup olive oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 stalks celery diced
- 3 carrots diced
- 1/2 sweet onion diced
- 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped
- 5 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/2 head savoy cabbage shredded
- 3 zucchini diced
- 2-3 sprigs parsley chopped
- 2/3 cup rice or noodles optional
- 2-3 cups chicken stock or water optional
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak dried white beans overnight in 6 cups of water. Add a handful of salt and pinch of baking soda to the water.
- Rinse and drain beans. Place beans in a large soup pot with 6 cups of warm water, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, until tender. Strain beans over a pot, keeping liquid for later.
- Put 1/2 of beans in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add water, as needed. Set 1/2 of beans aside.
- Heat olive oil in large soup pot. Add garlic, celery, carrot, onion, chopped rosemary, salt and pepper. Saute until brown and tender.
- Dilute tomato paste with 1/2 cup warm water and stir into pot. Add cabbage, zucchini, parsley, whole beans, bean puree and cooking water. Add 2-3 cups water or stock if needed. Add pasta or rice, if using. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.
