Farmers markets are starting to come alive, and there's no better way to highlight all of the fresh young vegetables than with a light, brothy soup. Love your grandmother's minestrone? Or did you discover a great pistou during your travels in Provence and emulate it at home? Now's the time to show us what you've...
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This soup requires a fair amount of prep, but it's worth it.
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It's a veritable rainbow of vegetables!
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Amanda gets ready to chop some kale. (WinnieAb is very good at adding that extra dose of something healthy to her recipes.)
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Of course, we love that she starts this one with bacon!
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In go leeks and chopped onion.
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Along with a generous dose of garlic.
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Now the carrots, zucchini, celery and potatoes join the party!
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WinnieAb gives a choice of basil or parsley for the pesto -- we went with parsley.
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Amanda picks the pine nuts out of the gorgeous pile of pesto ingredients in the previous slide when she realizes they need to be toasted.
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Meanwhile, chicken stock, chickpeas and San Marzano tomatoes go into the pot to be simmered with the rest of the veggies and the bacon.
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Toasted pine nuts!
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This hand-chopped pesto ends up being beautifully rustic.
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After the veggies have softened, the kale goes in, along with the tortellini.
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Cook the soup just until the tortellini is tender, and then serve right away so it doesn't get soggy!
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Green beans, garlic, zucchini, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parmesan rind, tubetti, red wine, napa cabbage, onion, tomato, bay leaf, peppercorns, white beans and chickpeas. Phew!
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Minestrone is all about the prep -- once you're done chopping then it's just a matter of stirring a pot.
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That's some healthy looking thyme, no?
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Merrill mashes the garlic.
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Tubetti, cannellini and chickpeas.
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Freshly chopped herbs make us swoon.
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Onion doing its job: infusing the oil.
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Yay -- our turn in the pot!
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Merrill looking very adorable. Note the cute green shoes -- Amanda covets a pair.
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Yes, we "mise."
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We like that you add the herbs midway through the cooking so their aromas stay fresher.
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The parmesan infuses the broth with cheesiness (in a good way!).
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Toward the end of cooking, you add a lot of pepper. We went with a scant teaspoon.
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In goes the napa cabbage (an underappreciated vegetable).
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Followed by tubetti -- you can use any small pasta shape.
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Finishing touch: red wine!
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