Soup's On!

With the weather finally cooling down a bit here in sunny California, I took the opportunity to cook up a steaming pot of soup using the classic minestrone recipe featured in this month’s issue of “Everyday Food.”

Here’s what you’ll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 can (14.5 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1/4 head Savoy or green cabbage (1/2 pound), cored and thinly sliced
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, plus torn leaves for serving (optional)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan, for serving

You’ll notice in the photo that I took a few not-very-Martha-like shortcuts. I used canned green beans that were already cut into 1-inch pieces, crushed garlic from a jar and dried basil. I think the fact that the rosemary was plucked just moments before this photo was taken from my little herb garden makes up for that.

First, I added the olive oil to my pot and cooked the onion, carrots, celery red-pepper flakes, rosemary, salt and pepper for 5-8 minutes. While that was all cooking, I chopped and then added the tomatoes, potato and cabbage. I also added the cannellini beans and water at that point, and brought it all to a boil, stirring in the green beans. Next, I reduced to a simmer and cooked for about 20 minutes.

I have to admit that I was a little bit afraid when this was simmering, because it smelled awfully similar to the famous Weight Watchers soup recipe, and I was in the mood for something a little heartier than that. Also, I was surprised that it didn’t call for broth of any kind, just water.

I’m happy to say that the soup did not disappoint! It was filling and delicious, and provided leftovers for another night. Most impressively, it was actually ready in less than the hour that the magazine promised, which is truly spectacular, considering the amount of chopping involved. I’d definitely consider adding this to my regular recipe rotation, and look forward to trying some of the variations the magazine suggested, such as adding peas and zucchini!