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Minestrone will always top my list of great soups. I have the fondest memories of minestrone because I've tasted too many bad versions; but when you do it right, it's the stuff of good memories. The mushrooms, which seem so natural here, add an earthiness to this already complex soup.
Minestrone partners beautifully with a green salad and a hunk of Tuscan bread to make a complete meal. |
Makes about 10 to 12 cups:
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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 cups shitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
2 portobello mushrooms, trimmed and sliced
1 cup chopped slab bacon (optional)
1 ham hock (optional)
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1/2 head fennel, diced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 carrot peeled and diced
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1 celery stalk, diced
1/4 head Savoy cabbage, cored and chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped canned tomatoes, drained
8 cups Chicken Broth or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
Shaved Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Fresh chopped basil leaves, for garnish
Almond Pesto (optional), for garnish
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Instructions:
• Place a large skillet over high heat and, when it is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add 2 cups mushrooms and cook until they are well seared, about 4 minutes. Repeat, adding about 2 cups at a time, until all the mushrooms are cooked. Set aside.
• Place a large stockpot over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the bacon and cook until it is just crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the ham hock onion, fennel, garlic, carrot, celery; and cabbage, stirring well after each addition, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved mushrooms, tomatoes, Chicken Broth, and rosemary and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
• Transfer 6 cups of the soup to the blender or a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until smooth. Return the puree to the stockpot and cook for 30 minutes.
• Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days, or serve immediately by placing a big hunk of Tuscan bread in a shallow bowl and pouring the minestrone over it. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, chopped basil, and, if desired, Almond Pesto. |
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