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Kale. Minestrone with Cannellini Beans|Weston Table

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Kale Minestrone with Cannellini Beans
There is nothing that feels quite like a eating a bowl of hearty hot soup to nourish the body and comfort the mind. Every culture has its own signature soup. Slurping pork ramen made from a broth that cooks for 36 hours is worthy of date night. Eating miso soup with a funny shaped spoon at a sushi restaurant has worked its way to a pre sushi ritual. Steaming coconut milk-based Tom khai tames Thai cuisine spices and offers the mouth a reprieve from red chilis. While bowls of Ina Garten's chicken chili rule during Michigan football Saturdays at our house, it is bowls of Italian minestrone that makes it into the year round regular rotation. It is common for someone in our huge family of seven to grab a wooden spoon to "test" the irresistible goodness bubbling beneath the pot's lid. A forgiving soup originally made to use perfectly nutritious odds leftover from other cooking, this soup has its way of becoming a family's own. Toss in a parmesan rind whenever you have one, sub a giant bunch of kale cut into thin, kinky ribbons for cabbage, and don't sweat it if one ingredient is missing. The genius of minestrone is that it is forgiving. If an ingredient is absent, the soup seems to say, 'Oh well, see you next time friend' and continues melding into a soothing pot of delicious nourishment. I no longer need a recipe to make this soup, but some of the things I do would be considered unorthodox. First, no celery (we simply don't miss it but do add it if you are so inclined). Second, because my family loves them, seared mushrooms are tossed into the soup for an earthiness and umami that adds depth of flavor. Third, carrots and zucchini are pan seared until  caramelized before being thrown into the pot. Finally, my soup's secret weapon is balsamic vinegar--just a bit to cut the  tomato acidity. The final huge differentiator is that after over twenty-five years of making this soup, I unabashedly use time-saving cheats: canned beans and Better than Bouillon chicken base for the stock. Make this nutrient rich recipe once and then add and subtract to make it your house specialty.
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cuisine Italian
difficulty Easy
season Fall & Winter
serves 8 to 12

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, small dice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 28 ounce can San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes
  • 6 cups water
  • 6 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon dried Greek oregano
  • 12 ounces fresh mushrooms, 1/4" slice
  • 1 large carrot (peeled), small dice
  • 1 zucchini, small dice
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 large bunch Lacinato kale, sliced into small ribbons
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan, plus more for passing
  • 1 Tuscan loaf, sliced

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven and heat over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the onions and garlic and stir occasionally until translucent.
  2. Use your hand to break the whole peeled tomatoes and add them to the pot.
  3. Add in the bay leaf, oregano, sugar, 2 teaspoons salt and 2 teaspoons pepper.
  4. Dissolve the Better than Bouillon into 6 cups boiling water and add to the soup pot. Stir vigorously.
  5. Heat a cast iron skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the dry skillet and sear until brown, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the soup pot.
  6. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the hot skillet and sear the zucchini and carrots until they begin to caramelize, about 3 minutes. Add to the soup pot.
  7. Add the beans, balsamic vinegar, and 1/2 cup grated parmesan to the pot.
  8. Toss the kale into the pot and stir. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes.
  9. Serve piping hot with slices of bread drizzled with olive oil and baked in a 400 degree F. oven until golden and then topped with grated parmesan and toasted for one more minute in the oven until the cheese has melted.

Kitchen Notes

Save and freeze Parmesan rinds and toss one into the soup for added flavor. Spinach or cabbage may be substituted for the kale. The soup may be refrigerated for up to 5 days, or frozen for 1 month. If San Marzano plum tomatoes are unavailable, any high quality can of plum tomatoes may be used.

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