seasonal segue

Spring has sprung and, though crocuses are blooming and trees are beginning to bud, there’s still a chill in the air. This magnificent soup/stew bridges that seasonal gap as we shift from hearty comfort food to the lighter fare we crave as the weather gets warmer. It also perfectly fit the bill recently when our vegetarian niece came to visit from France. The simple recipe comes from Ina Garten and with just a few alterations it was niece-ready. Bright and zesty, with amazing flavor and texture, this soup is one gratifying meal in a bowl. It’s definitely a new favorite around here.

Vegetarian Minestrone with Basil Pesto & Garlic Croutes

Replete with white beans and pasta, chopped tomatoes add body to the broth and butternut squash brings marvelous meatiness to this soup–wait, it’s so chunky, let’s call it a stew. A touch of white wine, a toss of baby spinach leaves (baby kale would work, too) and a final swirl of zesty basil pesto makes this a pot of undeniable goodness on so many levels. I’ve turned it vegetarian by omitting pancetta and using vegetable instead of chicken stock. You could even make it vegan–just omit the Parmesan cheese. It would still be incredible.


After a little bit of chopping, this soup is really a breeze to pull together and doesn’t require a lot of cooking time. I’ll even offer a few shortcuts to speed things up. Let’s get started: begin by dicing onions, carrots and celery; mince garlic cloves and thyme leaves.

 
 
Using a u-peeler, peel a small butternut squash. Cut in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and dice. To save a little time here, you can often find peeled, cleaned butternut squash in the market.
 
 
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or soup pot over a medium flame. When shimmering, add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme and squash and cook stirring often, until veggies are softened, about 10 minutes.
 
 
Add chopped tomatoes to the vegetables. Ina suggests using Pomi from Italy and I totally concur–they come in a box, so they’re always ripe and ready without that tinny canned taste.

 

Pour 6 cups of vegetable stock into the soup, add a bay leaf, and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to let the soup simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.


In a medium saucepan, cook 1 cup of pasta in plenty of salted water until al dente–I like to use small shapes like ditalini or tubetti. Remove the bay leaf and stir the cooked pasta into the soup.



Drain the cannelini beans, add them to the pot, then heat until the beans and pasta are warmed through. Add more stock, a cup at a time, if the soup is too thick.



It’s a snap to make fresh Basil Pesto yourself (especially if you have a mini food processor), but if you want another shortcut, you can use the store-bought kind. Place basil leaves in the bowl of a mini-processor or blender and top with chopped garlic, pine nuts and grated Parmesan cheese. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.


Begin processing while slowly adding olive oil. My Cuisinart mini model has small holes in the top that allow the oil to drizzle in little by little–perfect for making pestos and mayonnaise. Blend until completely pureed, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed. If there’s any leftover pesto later, store it in a container with a layer of olive oil on top–that’ll help keep the pesto green.


To make the Garlic Croutes: preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice a baguette on the bias and brush both sides of each slice with olive oil. Bake for 6 minutes. Rub the cut garlic clove on each slice. 


Just before serving, toss the baby spinach or baby kale leaves into the soup until they are wilted and fully incorporated. Add the white wine and swirl in two tablespoons of the pesto. Taste and adjust the seasoning, if needed.


Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle with more Basil Pesto. Freshly grate Parmesan over and top with the Garlic Croutes. Serve with a spoon and a fork and dig in!

 

Adapted from Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten

Serves 8 to 10:

 
Vegetarian Minestrone:
 
1 large onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups diced butternut squash 
2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
26 ounce chopped tomatoes
6 to 8 cups vegetable stock, preferably low sodium
1 bay leaf
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
15 ounce can of cannelini beans
2 cups cooked small pasta, like ditalini or tubetti
8 to 10 ounces baby spinach or baby kale leaves
1/2 cup dry white wine

Basil Pesto:
2 cups packed basil leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garlic Croutes:
1 baguette
extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, cut in half lengthwise
Garnishes:
basil pesto
grated Parmesan cheese
garlic croutes


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By passioneats | 4.04.2013 | Basil Pesto, Beans, Carrots, Cheese, Croutes, Garlic, Greens, Herbs, Nuts, Onions, Pasta, Soup, Squash, Stew, Stock, Tomatoes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian, Wine |