I know this is a recipe for colder weather but it is so good & makes a ton of soup I decided to post it anyway. It was on the Barefoot Contessa a few weeks ago. There are a lot of ingredients but I chopped all the vegetables (carrots, onions & celery) a day ahead. I found the butternut squash already diced in a bag in the produce department. I think it is a very healthy soup & could be vegetarian if you change the stock to vegetable & leave out the pancetta.
Winter Minestrone & Garlic Bruschetta
Good Olive Oil
4 oz. Pancetta, 1/2" diced
1 1/2 c. ch (opped yellow onions
2 c. (1/2" diced) carrots - I used the baby carrots in a bag
2 c. (1/2" siced) celery
2 1/2 c. (1/2" diced) peeled butternut squash
1 1/2 Tb. minced garlic (4 cloves) - I used a microplane & grated it & only used 1 Tb.
2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 26 oz. can diced tomatoes
6-8 c. chicken stock (I use unsalted)
1 bay leaf
Kosher Salt & freshly ground pepper
1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2 c. cooked small pasta (I used whole wheat shells)
8-10 oz. fresh baby spinach leaves
1/2 c. good dry white wine
2 Tb. store bought pesto (I bought this but forgot to put it in & it was still delish)
Garlic Bruschetta (recipe follows)
Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese for serving
Heat 2 Tb. olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch Oven (at least 6-8 qt.). Add the pancetta & cook over med. low hat for 6-8 min. stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic & thyme & cook over med. heat, srirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 c. of the stock, the bay leaf, 1 Tb. salt & 1 1/2 tsp. pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat & simmer uncovered for 30 min. till the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans & cooked pasta through. The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick add more stock. Just before serving reheat the soup, add the spinach & toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just till the spinach is wilted. Stir in the white wine & pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the stock you may need to add more salt to taste (I didn't). Serve in a bowl with one of the bruschetta on top & sprinkle parmesan on top. Delicious!!!
Garlic Bruschetta
1 french baguette
good olive oil
1 clove garlic, cut in half lengthwise
Heat oven to 425. Slice baguette at a 45 degree angle in 1/2" slics. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil & bake for 6-10 minutes, till lightly browned. Take the slices out of the oven & rub the surface of each one with the cut clove.
This makes a boat load of soup, I shared it with my neighbor. I did not use all the spinach, I just added 3 handfuls & had to quit as my pot was almost to capacity. I did not add more stock but when I did reheat it I usually added a little.
I hope you like it - I really did & will definitely make it again.
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