(Just got out of the Test Kitchen and have revised and took this recipe to its zenith ) 11-16-09. I have a good friend who lives in Berlin. He just bought a nice set of Le Creuset, and All Clad. I’m passing this recipe on to him to test out. Awesome nutrient driven October-November-I’m begging for Fall food option. A nine vegetable treat in which leftovers can be turned into a mouth watering lasagna the following day using flour tortillas as a pasta substitute, and adding a little ground beef to the reducing soup to create a vegetable marinara sauce. (recipe to follow at later date) Classic slow cooked recipe. Nourishing, tasty and easy to prepare. And, the kids love it-tried on my 7 year old daughter! Every one needs to make this recipe their own. Be sure to use plenty of Fresh Basil as a garnish and don’t substitute for the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Here are the basics-experiment away.
Ingredients:
-One large Spanish onion (small dice)
-2 and 1/2 stalks celery (medium diced)
-1 large carrot, or 2-3 medium carrots (medium diced)
- 2 Cups Zucchini (medium diced)
-A generous handful or 2 of fresh green beans (cut into bite sized pieces)
-3 and 1/2 cups Potato (large dice) Yellow and Russet work well.
-8 cups finely sliced green cabbage.
-1 28 oz can of crushed San Marzano Tomatoes plus 2 cups same.
-2 15 Oz cans of Cannellini Beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 and 1/2 tsp dried Basil
-Plenty of freshly chopped Basil to add just before serving.
-1 32 oz low sodium or home made chicken stock, plus 3 cups same.
-1 bay leaf.
-Plenty of Parmigiano grated as a garnish. Remove any rind and add to soup for added flavor. Remove before serving.
-Salt And Pepper to taste
-Smaller shaped pasta of choice-tiny shells work and today I used the very perfect “Orecchiette” little UFO shaped pastas. Make as much as you’d like cooking pasta in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain, and reserve 1/2 cup pasta water to add to soup at very end. Do not rinse pasta. Simply cook to just about al-dente, strain and toss in a bit of olive oil to prevent clumping. Set aside.
Method And Technique: In a large Dutch oven:
-Sweat onions, carrots, and celery in a few tbls olive oil over low heat till tender-about 10 minutes. Add the dried Basil to release flavor after about 2 minutes of sweating vegetables. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
-Add the cabbage, and continue to sweat over low heat for about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
-Add potato, season with salt and pepper lightly and sweat a few minutes.
-Add Zucchinni and sweat a few more minutes
-Add green beans-mix to combine
-Add tomato and chicken stock-stir. Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered or partially covered, over low heat for about 2 and 1/2 hours. Drop in any Parm rinds at this time, as well as the bay leaf. Stir every so often.
-At 2 hours of cooking add drained and rinsed Cannellini beans.
-Season soup to taste with salt and pepper, and add plenty of chopped fresh basil. Add reserved pasta cooking water, and adjust texture with chicken stock or water as needed. The soup should be quite thick. You want concentrated vegetable flavor, and not thinned broth.
-ladle soup into warmed bowls containing a few spoons of pasta of choice
-Garnish soup at the table with plenty of freshly grated Parmigiano, and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.
- Leftovers (combined with ground beef and simmered to marinara consistency make a great base for lasagna!)
Pairings:
Try an Austrian Gruner Veltliner (the most awesome wine for all things vegetable-and beyond) with this or a lighter red such as a Cotes du Rhone or Pinot Noir. A sparkling Rose such as one from “Brundlmayer ” (Austria) would also be a nice choice. For a beer, I’m thinking a German Dunkel or Shwartzbier would contribute a bready, yeasty, malty wholesome addition to this hearty, and healthy soup allowing the beer to contribute (like a bread) while not overpowering the delicate flavors of the vegetables.
Enjoy!
