Saturday, February 11, 2012

Tomato Minestrone Soup w/Garlic Bread Croutons



It's COLD here today, so I thought I'd share a couple of recipes for warm comforting soups.

Tomato Minestrone Soup w/Garlic Bread Croutons

2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta or thick-cut prosciutto, finely chopped (optional)
1 lb. zucchini, cut into strips lengthwise (discarding the seedy centers), then cut into small pieces
2 ribs celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper
One 32 oz. container (4 C) chicken or vegetable stock
One 15 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed
One 15 oz. can tomato puree or crushed tomatoes
1/4 lb. whole wheat or other short-cut pasta
A handful of basil, torn into pieces
2 Tbsp. butter
4 thick slices Italian bread
About 1/2 C freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish

In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat.  Add the panceta or prosciutto, if using, and cook until browned, a couple of minutes.  Add the zucchini, celery, carrot, onion, bay leaf and 2 cloves garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 minutes. 

Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the middle of the oven.  Stir the chicken stock, beans and tomatoes into the soup and bring to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.  Stir in the basil and lower the heat to low.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.  Add in the remaining 1 clove garlic and swirl for a minute or so; remove from the heat. 

Broil the bread on both sides until lightly toasted.  Brush the bread with the garlic butter and sprinkle with the cheese and parsley.  Broil to melt the cheese.  Serve the soup in shallow bowls, each topped with a crouton.

Makes 4 servings

7 comments:

  1. This looks like my kind of recipe! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Diane....do let me know if you try it!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the recipe, going to give it a try, I found you on blogfrog...I'm still trying to figure it out. If you can help me understand it better I would be appreciate it...would love for you to check out my blog too. http://ourgeorgiafarm.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh wow that looks so good! I am going to have to get this soup a try.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Kristi,
    Thanks for dropping by and letting me know you like what you see! I do hope you'll try this recipe---feedback is always appreciated!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh wow Shelly you are amazing I LOVE soups! Gonna actually make ALL of these!
    Thanks so much!
    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you, Shari! Please DO come back here & post if you try anything to let us all know how you liked it!

    ReplyDelete