Minestrone With Giant White Beans And Winter Squash Recipes

Steps:

• First simmer beans. Drain soaked beans and place in a large saucepan with 2 quarts water, halved onion, crushed garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes. Add salt to taste (I usually use 1 teaspoon salt per quart of water) and continue to simmer another 30 minutes. Beans should be almost tender. Remove from heat and use tongs to remove and discard onion half, garlic cloves and bay leaf.
• While beans are simmering you can make tomato base. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven, and add onion, carrot and celery. Add a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until vegetables are just about tender, about 5 minutes, and add parsley and leeks. Cook, stirring, until leeks are slightly wilted, about 3 minutes, and stir in garlic along with another generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, just until the garlic smells fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute, and stir in tomatoes with their juice and salt to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, until tomatoes have cooked down somewhat and smell fragrant. Remove from heat until beans are ready.
• Add beans and their broth to tomato base, stir together, add bouquet garni and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add winter squash and continue to simmer for another 30 to 45 minutes, until squash and beans are very tender. Taste, adjust salt, and add freshly ground pepper to taste.
• Just before serving heat through and stir in a generous handful of chopped fresh parsley or basil, or a mix of the two. Serve, topping each bowl with freshly grated Parmesan.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven. Add the pancetta and cook over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Add the onions, carrots, celery, squash, garlic, and thyme and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the tomatoes, 6 cups of the chicken stock, the bay leaf, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf. Add the beans and cooked pasta and heat through. The soup should be quite thick but if it's too thick, I add more chicken stock.
• Just before serving, reheat the soup, add the spinach, and toss with 2 big spoons (like tossing a salad). Cook just until the leaves are wilted. Stir in the white wine and pesto. Depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock, add another teaspoon or two of salt to taste. Serve large shallow bowls of soup with a bruschetta on top. Sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, drizzle with olive oil and serve hot.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Slice the baguette at a 45 degree angle in 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of the bread with olive oil and bake for 6 minutes, until lightly toasted. Take the slices out of the oven and rub the surface of each one with the cut clove of garlic.

Steps:

• Soak the beans overnight in a large pot, covered by several inches of water.
• The next day, simmer the beans 2 hours or until tender. Drain and set aside, reserving the cooking water.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for about 10 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes longer.
• Add 3 cups water and bring to a low boil. When boiling, add the leek and green beans. After 5 minutes, add the zucchini and tomatoes. After 15 minutes, add the spinach and beans and cook for 5 more minutes. If the soup is too thick, add water (reserved bean water is good).
• Remove the bay leaf and bare thyme sticks and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve in bowls, each garnished with grated Parmesan cheese or pesto.

Steps:

• Remove meat from ham hocks and cut into large pieces; set meat aside. Place navy beans and ham bones in a large pot; add cold water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in another large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add ham hock meat, onion, leeks, celery, and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 20 minutes.
• Add squash, green beans, navy beans and soaking liquid, broth, and bones to pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; reduce heat to low, cover, and gently simmer until navy beans are tender, 1 1/2-2 hours.
• When soup is almost finished cooking, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil and add 1/4 cup parsley and toss to coat.
• Discard ham bones. Add spinach and remaining 3/4 cup parsley to soup.
• Divide soup among bowls. Add pasta, top with Arugula Salsa Verde, and drizzle with oil.
• DO AHEAD: Soup can be made up to 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill.

Steps:

• In a large bowl let the white beans soak in enough water to cover them by 2 inches overnight or quick-soak them. Drain the white beans, in a saucepan combine them with enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and simmer them, uncovered, adding more water if necessary to keep them barely covered, for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until they are tender. Add the salt and simmer the white beans for 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and let the white beans stand, uncovered.
• In a heavy kettle cook the pancetta in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp and pale golden, add the onion, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the carrots, the celery, and the garlic and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the zucchini, the green beans, and the potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add the cabbage and the kale and cook the mixture, stirring, until the cabbage is wilted. Add the tomatoes and the broth and simmer the soup, covered, for 1 hour.
• Drain the white beans, reserving the liquid, in a blender or food processor purée half of them with 1 cup of the reserved liquid, and stir the purée and the remaining white beans into the soup. Simmer the soup, uncovered, for 15 minutes, thin it if desired with some of the remaining reserve liquid, and season it with salt and pepper. The soup may be made 3 days in advance and kept covered and chilled. Reheat the soup, thinning it with water as desired. Serve the soup with the Parmesan, the bruschetta, and the sausages.

Steps:

• Place beans in a medium bowl. Add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Let soak overnight. Drain, and set aside.
• In a large pot, combine 8 cups of water, drained beans, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, partially covered, until beans are almost tender, about 1 hour.
• In a medium saute pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons thyme. Cook, covered, until onions begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 minutes. Add vegetable mixture to beans.
• Stir in squash, potato, kale, cheese rind, salt, and pepper. Add enough water to just cover (about 6 cups), and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, until potatoes and beans are tender, about 25 minutes.
• If desired, to thicken the soup, use the back of a spoon to mash about 2 cups of beans, squash, and potato against the side of the pot. Add sage, remaining teaspoon of thyme, and crushed red pepper. Taste, and adjust for seasoning. Garnish with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• Soak dried beans at least 8 hours.
• Or bring to a rolling boil; remove from heat.
• Cover and let stand 1 hour.
• Simmer presoaked or quick-soaked beans for 30 minutes. Set aside.
• In 4-quart Dutch oven cook carrots, onions, and garlic in hot olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat.
• Rinse and drain beans in colander.
• Add dried, precooked beans (NOT canned beans), chicken broth, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and bay leaf to Dutch oven.
• Bring to boil; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add squash and tomato.
• If using canned beans, rinse, drain, and add with squash and tomato at this point.
• Cover and cook 20 to 30 minutes more or until beans and squash are tender.
• Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Stir in shrimp and basil.
• Bring just to boil.
• Reduce heat and cook, uncovered, for 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque.

Steps:

• Cook onion, celery, and carrots in oil, over med-high heat in a large saucepan, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes.
• Add 2 cups water plus all remaining ingredients, except for cheese.
• Cover and let boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Sprinkle Parmesan on top and serve.