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Hearty Minestrone

Source of Recipe

From "The New Essentials Cookbook" by America's Test Kitchen


Recipe Introduction

"This Italian classic squeezes every last ounce of flavor out of vegetables and features creamy dried beans and a surprisingly rich broth. Sautéeing pancetta and cooking the vegetables in the rendered fat gave our soup layers of flavor, while a Parmesan rind (save a few in the freezer for recipes like this) added richness. V8 juice, though unconventional, added a wallop of vegetable flavor. Starch released from the beans thickened the soup. We prefer to use cannellinni beans, but navy or great Northern beans can also be used. We prefer pancetta but bacon can be used. To make this soup vegetarian, substitute 2 teaspoons olive oil for the pancetta and vegetable broth for the chicken broth. The Parmesan rind can be replaced with a 2-inch chunk of the cheese. If you're pressed for time, quick-soak the beans: in step 1, bring the salt, water, and beans to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ Salt and pepper
â—¦ 8 ounces (1 ¼ cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
â—¦ 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
â—¦ 3 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
â—¦ 2 celery ribs, cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 2 small onions, cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 carrot, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ 1 zucchini, cut into ½-inch pieces
â—¦ ½ small head green cabbage, halved, cored, and chopped (2 cups)
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, minced
â—¦ â…› to ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
â—¦ 8 cups water
â—¦ 2 cups chicken broth
â—¦ 1 Parmesan cheese rind, plus grated Parmesan for serving
â—¦ 1 bay leaf
â—¦ 1 ½ cups V8 juice
â—¦ ½ cup chopped fresh basil


Recipe

Dissolve 1 ½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large bowl or container. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.

Heat oil and pancetta in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add celery, onions, carrot, and zucchini; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, 5 to 9 minutes. Stir in cabbage, garlic, pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon salt and continue to cook until cabbage starts to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Add drained beans, water, broth, Parmesan rind, and bay leaf to now-empty Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer vigorously, stirring occasionally, until beans are fully tender and liquid begins to thicken, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Add reserved vegetables and V8 juice; cook until vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes. Discard bay leaf and Parmesan rind, stir in basil, and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with Parmesan. (Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Add basil just before serving.)

Serves 6 to 8