Recipe: Minestrone
My friend Matt loves to come up with great philosophical questions such as… if there is one form of perfect pizza that every bite of pizza you take would turn into only that pizza, what would it be? The answer is obvious for that Grimaldi’s Margarita in NYC. Duh?
But, he came up with one that I had to argue against. He asked me “if there was one soup-“ It was at this point that I interrupted him. I was like STOP! Pizza, Hamburgers, etc. I get it. It’s a specific thing to a specific culture. Now, of course, you could do a fusion (an Asian burger for example), but, they’re typically from one culture. Soup transcends any borders. Every culture has soup. So many of them are good. In fact, in the culinary world, how to test a Chef’s abilities is to ask them to make soup (in France it’s also the perfect omelet). So, I told Matt I couldn’t do it. It’s not a fair question. He agreed and, then, changed the question… if there were only three soups… what would they be?
The question seemed fairer, but I still had to think about it. Eventually, I came up with my answers.
The first: Hot and Sour Soup. We each have the soup we want when we are sick. The soup that makes us feel good. In America, it is so often Chicken Noodle that people reach for. In Jewish culture, the Matzo Ball soup is King (and oh so good). In the south, it is often Chicken and Dumplings. For me, growing up in a mixed-race house, mine was Hot and Sour Soup. I love it. The silky texture of the tofu with the chewiness of the mushroom against the slightly sour rich broth that finishes with a little heat. When you’re ill, the spice helps drain your sinuses and the sour helps with a sour throat. I love it.
The second soup: French Onion. There’s something about the depth of French Onion soup that is delicious. It’s probably my favorite soup recipe I have and I will share it. The French method of cooking, of developing flavors over time and reducing to create something new is perfected in this soup. I use both Beef and Chicken Stock and then white wine, a dry vermouth, a dry sherry, and finish with a crème sherry. When you add in the texture from the gooey cheese and crispy crouton on top. Man… so good. Also, one of the best ways I’ve ever had this soup is at Chris Santos’ restaurant, “The Stanton Social” in NYC where they make French Onion Soup into dumplings. It’s like crossing a Chinese Soup Dumpling (where the soup is inside the dumpling and is released when you bite into it) and French Onion Soup. Amazing.
As I’m going through my soup choices, I see Matt getting more agitated. After saying French Onion, he stood up and began pacing. He asked, “alright the last one?” When I said Minestrone, Matt screamed “those are the same three I would choose!” Well, I’ve always known Matt had good taste.
I wanted to go with a soup that wasn’t completely broth based. Minestrone, being partially tomato based, is a different animal. I love cream of tomato soup and cream of mushroom; I love Ramen and Bouillabaisse and so many others. But I went with Minestrone. Minestrone is a peasants’ dish. Made with what you have around, some minestrones are very different than others. Some begin with a pork product. Others are vegetarian. Some have potatoes in it (a sin in my mind). Most have pasta (mine is without, but I do love to add homemade ravioli to it. They’re great in it), most have beans (mine do!), but it is the vegetables that I think are the most important part. So, this is my recipe today considering you can add any vegetables you want. I also roast some of mine before I add them to the soup which I think adds better flavor. I will admit that they lose their texture, so you don’t want to cook them for very long once they’re added to the soup.
Ingredients:
4 cups of chicken stock (I prefer homemade chicken stock and always have some in my freezer. Many recipes call for a lot of chicken and stock, but alas my kitchen and freezer are small. So, here’s my recipe for stock. 1 whole chicken placed in a large stock pot and covered with water. 2 bay leaves, 1 bunch of parsley, 1 onion cut in half, 4 garlic cloves, 2 carrots, 2 pieces of celery, couple springs of fresh thyme, 12 black pepper corns, 2 cloves. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 1 ½ hours to 2 hours. Let cool. Strain and store. I don’t add salt to mine because I prefer to salt when I cook, but you could always add salt)
1 large can of tomato puree
1 cup of dry white wine
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 bunch of pencil asparagus
1 large zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 jar of artichoke hearts stored in water (you may also use frozen or make your own)
¾ cup of frozen peas
1 can of cannellini beans
2 dried bay leaves
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 garlic cloves smashed and minced
Crushed Red Pepper and Salt to taste
Olive oil
Parmesan Cheese rind (at least 3 inches)
Parmesan Cheese grated to garnish
Begin by preheating the oven to 400 degrees.
Clean and snap asparagus at their tender part to remove the bottom that is woody. Then chop into 2-inch pieces. Set aside. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into even sliced. Add to the asparagus. Toss with olive oil and salt and pepper. Place in oven to roast for 10-15 minutes. If the asparagus is really small, you may want to put them on separate trays as they might be finished before the squash. This is not normal in Minestrone, but I love roasted vegetables and the depth they add to this.
While that is going on, chop the onion, carrots, and celery. Put a large pot on the stove and turn heat to medium high. Add olive oil until the bottom is coated and add onion. Turn down to medium heat. Add salt and crushed red pepper. Stir and allow them to sauté. You are not trying to caramelize them, but rather sauté until the onion is translucent and tender. Add the smashed and minced garlic and cook for 1-2 mins until fragrant. At this point, add the white wine and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Reduce wine by half.
Add chicken stock and tomato puree. Add oregano, basil, bay leaves, and salt and pepper as well as the Parmesan cheese rind. This is the part of the Parmesan cheese that people often throw away. But instead cook it in this, you will remove it before eating. Add carrots and celery. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the carrots and celery are tender and the soup has thickened slightly. About 20 mins.
At this point, add in the roasted vegetables, the canned beans that have been strained and rinsed, as well as the artichokes that have also been strained. Cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until all of the flavors blend together. At this point, check for salt and crushed pepper. Finally, add the peas and stir. They will cook within minutes with no additional heat.
Remove the bay leaves and cheese rind. Pour into a bowl and top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Soul soothing soup.
