Seasonal Minestrone with Pesto

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven (6-quart minimum)
• •Wooden spoon
• •Ladle

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the aromatic base

   Warm the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots with a generous pinch of salt. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the onion turns translucent, about ten minutes. This is your soffritto, the soul of the soup. Do not rush it.

   The salt draws moisture from the vegetables and helps them cook without browning. You want sweetness, not color.
2. 2

   Add garlic and tomatoes

   Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about one minute. Add the tomatoes, crushing them through your fingers as they fall into the pot. Let the tomatoes cook down for three to four minutes until they begin to concentrate and deepen in color. The kitchen should smell like something worth eating.

3. 3

   Pour in the stock

   Add the stock, Parmesan rind, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer. The rind will slowly release its salty, savory depth into the broth as it cooks. This is why you save your rinds in the freezer. They are too valuable to discard.

   If using store-bought stock, taste it first. Adjust the salt accordingly, as some brands are already quite salty.
4. 4

   Add seasonal vegetables

   Add your harder seasonal vegetables first: zucchini, green beans, fennel, potatoes, winter squash. These need more time to become tender. Simmer for ten to fifteen minutes, tasting a piece to check. Vegetables should yield to a fork but still have life in them.

5. 5

   Add beans and pasta

   Stir in the cannellini beans and pasta. Continue simmering until the pasta is tender but still has a pleasant bite, eight to twelve minutes depending on the shape. The starch from the pasta will thicken the broth slightly, giving it body.

6. 6

   Finish with greens

   Remove the Parmesan rind, thyme stems, and bay leaf. Add the torn greens and stir until they wilt into the broth, just two to three minutes. Kale keeps its texture; chard melts more softly. Both are good. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper. The soup should taste alive.

7. 7

   Serve with pesto

   Ladle the hot soup into warmed bowls. Drop a generous spoonful of pesto into each bowl and drag a spoon through it so the green ribbons swirl through the broth. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Pass more pesto and cheese at the table for those who want abundance.

   Stir the pesto in gently rather than mixing it completely. The pockets of basil and garlic that hit you with each spoonful are half the pleasure.

Chef Tips

• •Save your Parmesan rinds in the freezer. They are too precious to throw away. Drop one into any soup, braise, or pot of beans to add depth without effort.
• •If basil is not in season, make a parsley-walnut pesto or stir in a spoonful of good olive oil and a handful of chopped fresh herbs instead. The soup does not require basil to be delicious.
• •For a heartier meal, add a piece of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with olive oil to the bottom of each bowl before ladling in the soup.
• •This soup freezes well without the pasta. Add freshly cooked pasta when you reheat each portion, or the noodles will turn to mush.
• •Dried beans are better than canned if you have the time. Soak them overnight, cook them in unsalted water until tender, and add them with their cooking liquid for even more body.

Advance Preparation

• •The soup base (through step 3) can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Bring to a simmer before adding vegetables, beans, and pasta.
• •Complete soup without pasta keeps refrigerated for up to 5 days. The flavors improve with time.
• •Freeze soup without pasta for up to 3 months. Add freshly cooked pasta when serving.
• •Pesto can be made up to a week ahead. Cover the surface with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent browning.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)