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Summer Minestrone With Fresh Basil

5.0(1851)

You can finish this hearty summer soup with slivered fresh basil, or with pistou, the Provençal version of pesto (it’s pesto without the pine nuts). A Parmesan rind, simmered in the soup and then removed, adds great depth of flavor without adding fat. On a hot summer day in Italy the soup might be served at room temperature, or just barely warm.

by Martha Rose Shulman·published 2008-08-12

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Mediterranean

Servings

(6–8)

Total time

1h 20m

Calories / serving

141 kcal

Ingredients (16)

serves

1 tablespoon olive oilolive-oil
1 medium onion, choppedonion
2 medium carrots, peeled and choppedcarrot
1 celery stalk, choppedcelery
Saltsalt
4 large garlic cloves, minced or pressedgarlic
1 pound tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, or 1 (14-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with liquidtomato
1 medium turnip, peeled and dicedturnip
3/4 pound zucchini, dicedzucchini
A bouquet garni consisting of 1 Parmesan rind, 1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs parsley and 3 sprigs thyme, tied together with kitchen string or tied into a piece of cheesecloth
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
6 ounces green beans, cut into 1-inch lengthsgreen-beans
1/2 cup soup pasta, such as elbow macaroni, or broken spaghetti, or 3/4 cup pennesoup-pasta
Freshly ground pepper to tastepepper
1/4 cup slivered fresh basil leaves, or 1/2 cup pistou (see recipe)
Freshly grated Parmesan for garnishparmesan

Instructions (4 steps)

01Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
02While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
03Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
04Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

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Rich recipe — supports nutrition-aware planning.