WEEK 49: YOUR BEST MINESTRONE/SOUPE AU PISTOU
Smoky Minestrone with Tortellini and
Parsley or Basil Pesto
Photography by Sarah Shatz
BY WINNIEAB | SERVES 6 TO 8
A&M: We admire WinnieAb’s talent for combining delicious, nutritious ingredients (like the many vegetables in this soup) with a dash of indulgence (bacon, cheese, tortellini). The smokiness of the bacon permeates the minestrone, imbuing the tomatoey broth with a depth it wouldn’t have otherwise. The bright, rustic pesto (we used parsley, but basil would be great, too) is a superb final addition, with its garlicky, herbal kick.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices preservative-free, all-natural bacon, chopped into small pieces
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 leek, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced thinly
3 carrots, peeled and chopped into ½-inch dice
2 celery ribs, chopped into ½-inch dice
1 zucchini, chopped into ½-inch dice
1 potato, peeled and chopped into ½-inch dice
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
One 15-ounce can cooked chickpeas, preferably organic
One 28-ounce can peeled San Marzano tomatoes with juice
Salt
1 cup finely chopped kale
One 9-ounce package high-quality, all-natural cheese tortellini
Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling (optional)
Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish (optional)
PARSLEY OR BASIL PESTO
1 cup loosely packed basil or parsley leaves
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for a couple of minutes until it starts to brown.
- Add the rest of the oil and the onion, garlic, and leek. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, and potato and stir for a minute or two.
- Add the stock, chickpeas, and tomatoes, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you go. Add a few generous pinches of salt (be judicious if your stock is salted already). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 to 30 minutes until the potatoes are just tender.
- Meanwhile, make the pesto. Chop, chop, and chop the basil or parsley some more by hand until it’s very fine. When you do this, you’ll reduce it down to about ¼ cup.
- As you chop the basil, start to incorporate the pine nuts, garlic, and Parmesan and chop them fine, too, until you have a lovely, finely chopped pesto.
- Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the olive oil.
- Add the kale and the tortellini to the soup and simmer until both are tender and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve garnished with a spoonful of the pesto, a few drops of aged balsamic, and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan, if desired.
Photography by Sarah Shatz
TIPS AND TECHNIQUES
WinnieAb: “This recipe starts with just a little bit of all-natural bacon, but if you’d rather leave it out, go ahead and proceed with the rest of the recipe. You won’t get the smoky flavor, but you’ll still get a great soup. (You could also substitute pancetta for the bacon, but obviously you won’t do that if you are a vegetarian!) As for the pesto, I went the hand-chopped route here. Because it’s a small batch, I didn’t want to drag out the food processor, and I wanted to use a minimal amount of olive oil. You can also use your own favorite homemade or store-bought pesto instead of this one, if you prefer.”
Abra Bennett said: “For anyone who wants to omit the bacon, a spoonful of pimentón (Spanish smoked paprika) is a great way to get some smoky flavor in there.”
ABOUT THE COOK
To learn more about WinnieAb, read her recipe for Turkey Pho.
WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID
Mookie: “This is a great recipe! We don’t eat meat, so I skipped the bacon and used some alderwood smoked salt to substitute for the smoky bacon flavor. It worked out well! Thanks!”
Carrollmontreal: “Pesto perfecto! I made your pesto with parsley and planned to serve it with grilled salmon to night. But it is so fresh and delicious, we were eating it by the spoonful long before dinner was ready. There are thousands of recipes for pesto, with so many different balances of the ingredients, but your ingredients and proportions are the best! I can’t thank you enough. (And I can’t wait to make the minestrone.)”