Minestrone toscano (tuscan vegetable soup)

6 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Dried white (haricot) beans; soaked overnight
½ cup Olive oil
2 cloves Garlic; finely chopped
1 small Onion; thinly sliced
2 eaches Stalks celery; diced
1 each Carrot; diced
2 eaches Sprigs rosemary; finely chopped
½ cup Bacon; finely chopped optional
5 teaspoons Tomato paste
½ each Head Savoy cabbage; shredded
2 eaches To 3 leeks; chopped
3 eaches Zucchini; diced
Finely chopped Basil to taste
2 eaches Sprigs parsley; finely chopped
1 each Clove
Salt and pepper
⅔ cup Rice or noodles, or pieces of toasted bread

Directions

Cook the beans in their soaking water for about 2 hours, or until tender. Drain, reserving the liquid, and put about half of them through a fine sieve (or blender). Put aside. Heat the oil in a large pan and gently saute the garlic, onion, celery, carrot, rosemary and bacon until they begin to brown. Dilute the tomato paste with a little warm water, stir it into the pan, then add the cabbage, leeks, zucchini (courgettes), basil, parsley, and clove, as well as the pureed and whole beans, and their cooking water. Add a little extra hot water if needed. Check seasoning. Cook slowly for 30 minutes.

If using rice or noodles, add them to the broth at this point and cook until tender. Otherwise, serve the thick soup poured over slices of toast, adding a little extra olive oil.

From _Italian Regional Cooking_ by Ada Boni Crescent Books, 1989 ISBN 0-517-69349-6 Typos by Jeff Pruett Submitted By JEFF PRUETT On 05-06-95

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