a'MINESTRA...A VEGETABLE SOUP WITH SOUTHERN ITALIAN ROOTS
It's that back to soup time of year I guess. I fight this season every year hoping I'll wake up and it's
90 degrees and sunny, but...the darkness that comes early and the frost on the car in the morning is
telling me otherwise. Soup time. It's colder out, I can't stop it from coming. So a warming bowl of
soup not only works for the next few months it's a great way to get alot of goodness that comes from
vegetables in one pot.
As the title of the blogpost suggests this is a soup that comes from the traditions of Southern Italy,
I guess it's that thing called "Cucina Povera", which I don't think anyone back then called it, it's just
the kind of food that my grandparents passed down to their children and grandchildren. Beans and
greens are a very Italian-American dish and it comes in all varieties. The common threads are
always a garlic and olive oil base with the green simmered or sauteed with the garlic and oil, beans
and/or pasta or both mixed in with other vegetables. Sharp pecorino is added and where I come from
heavy doses of peperoncino too.
My choice for this soup is Broccoli Rabe, that bitter green, a cousin to regular broccoli which a
pungent and distinctive taste. I'm sure there are many haters of it out there along with it's big
fan base, so let me keep you reading here and not jumping over to Huffington Post or TMZ.com.
You can use any greens in this..escarole, spinach, chicory, swiss chard, beet greens, mustard
greens..see..aren't you glad you didn't close this window?For an entree sized bowl of this
"MINESTRA", the Italian word for soups which combine greens with liquid and other vegetables
and many other ingredients, this recipe will be for 4-6 people.Start with one large head of broc-
coli Rabe. Rinse this well. It could be very gritty if not rinsed properly. Then cut the head into
1/4 inch pieces. Makes for a nice soup size. In a large soup pot add 5 cups of a vegetable
or chicken stock, or just salted water. Bring it to a boil. Then add the chopped Broccoli Rabe.
Stir it well. Thinly slice 4 cloves of garlic.Add them to the pot.
Stir.Let this cook for about 10 minutes. Now add 2 cans of Cannellini Beans, also called White
Kidney Beans. I used a brand from Italy. Why? Because they had them in the store and it
make me feel more authentic. Are they better than American Cannellini? I don't know. But they
cost about the same, so, I went with them. You can certainly use any other Cannellini.
They were very good. Add 1 cup of White Wine and3 tbs. of Extra Virgin Olive oil. Next, a pinch of peperoncino and 1 can of Italian Imported Cherry
Tomatoes (ok, you're saying, enough with the can of Imported Italian whatevers...)but I will tell
you, these can of cherry tomatoes are the most versatile canned product I use. They cook up in
no time and are perfect for a pot of soup like this, versus a larger can of whole plums. You are
not making a tomato based soup, so the small can is just right. Mix everything. Now cut about
2 inches off of a wedge of Pecorino Romano,and cut into a fine dice. Toss that into the mix.
Between the palms of your hands rub 1 tsp. of fennel seeds. Toss that in too. Bring this whole
thing to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Done. Check for seasonings
as always. Because you've added the tomatoes (canned), beans (canned) and the cheese, do
not add any salt until you are done and have tasted it. Remember, you can always add more
salt to something but you can never take the salt out of it.
Pass extra cheese and peperoncino and a drizzle of olive oil around with this Minestra, some
crusty Italian bread and you are having a delicious meal on these cool to cold days.
Posted by peter battaglia at 11/19/2011 11:46 PM 
Categories: BROCCOLI RABE
Tags: SOUP ITALIAN BROCCOLI RABE TOMATOES VEGETARIAN VEGETABLES
Categories: BROCCOLI RABE
Tags: SOUP ITALIAN BROCCOLI RABE TOMATOES VEGETARIAN VEGETABLES
Hi Peter! This sounds great. I've never seen a can of cherry tomatoes. I'll have to look for them in the Italian specialty aisle. I'm one of the few Italians that doesn't like brocolli rabbe so I would use escarole. schadole as my grandmom would say!
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that's an amazing soup! I you've convinced me to leave my discovery on how to play bingo and go to the kitchen))) it looks so healthy and tasty) thanks for sharing)
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Great post - and what a comprehensive and clear explanation of The Making of a Minestra. Kudos to you once again, my friends. Soup's on here in California also - it was rainy and darn cold today. And I got a kick out of your reason for using Italian cannellini beans - I do the same thing. They're there. They're a reasonable price, and they're Italian- good enough for me. Thanks for a terrific post, and I hope you and yours have a wonderful Thanksgiving, Most certainly you will all eat like Kings and Queens.
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