Dean Gold
MINNESTRONE
Ingredients:
Soffrito
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
Firm Veggies - 4 cups total of any of the following
Cauliflower
Turnips
Broccoli
Green beans
Zucchini of any size or color
Greens - At least 3 types is best, 12 cups total
Savoy or green cabbage {Savoy is much better}
Chard
Tuscan Black Kale {aka Dinosaur Kale or Lacinato or Cavalo Nero}
Kale
Young mustard {use sparingly, a cup or less or you will get a very spicy soup}
Starches
2 cups cubed new potatoes {peeled}
4 cups cooked beans {cannellini or borlotti are the most common type in Toscana, you can use
the fresh shelling beans you might see in late fall}
Finishing touches
Olive oil
Garlic
Red pepper flakes or better yet, Aleppo pepper
Sage
Parsley
2 cups peeled & seeded chopped tomatoes with their juice, fresh if possible but not crucial.
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
Bread slices, toasted or grilled
Grated Pecorino Toscano or Parmigiano Reggiano. Do not use pecorino Romano as it is too sharp
and salty
Procedure:
Cutting the veggies {each needs to be kept separate}
Cut the odari into cubes about 3/8”
Cut the firm veggies into cubes about 1” or so. Cut green beans into 1” lengths, the
broccoli and cauliflower can be broken up naturally and the stems peeled and cut into
cubes. The stems are the best part so don’t throw them away.
The head cabbages need to be cut into 1” squares and the leaves separated. The leafy
greens cut crosswise into 1” strips. The stemy portions need to be separated out and cut
smaller.
Cook the beans ‘til just tender. Save just enough bean cooking liquid to cover the beans.
Do not salt the beans
Heat your stock pot. Add enough oil to give a good layer at the bottom of the pan. Add
more oil as needed. Toss in the onions and stir cook for a minute or two. Add the celery
next and stir cook again for a minute or two. Carrots and do the same. Now begin adding
the firm veggies one at a time and stir cook for a minute or two till each addition is coated
with oil. If the veggies don’t glisten with oil, add more. Adjust the heat as necessary to
keep thing sizzling without browning. Add salt and pepper to taste as you are adding the
firm veggies. When all the firm veggies are added, add red pepper or Aleppo flakes and
sage to taste. I would use 1 tsp salt and cracked black pepper and Aleppo, ¼ cup chopped
fresh sage. Next add the leafy veggies and stir cook each addition until they wilt a little.
When all the greens are added, add the potatoes, the beans, ¼ cup chopped parsley and
the tomatoes. Stir until all the ingredients are fully mixed. Add water to barely cover the
ingredients, cover the pot and bring to a boil. When at the boil, uncover, reduce heat and
simmer for 1 to 3 hours, depending on how soft you like your veggies. With 15 minutes
cooking time to go, taste for salt, pepper, sage, garlic, red pepper etc. Add to taste. If you
like a thick soup, remove ¼ of the ingredients and puree in a blender and add back to the
soup.
Serve in a large, warm bowl. Top with a slice of toasted country style bread and a drizzle
of olive oil. Pass grated pecorino Toscano or Reggiano.