Soups On - 1/21/08

For those of you who are really, really hungry for a hot bowl of steaming Minestrone, here is a recipe for you. It will serve 30. If your family is smaller, please feel free to practice your math skills and halve, third or quarter the ingredients to get a batch of soup that will actually fit in your pots. Because I'm a purist and I happen to have a 3 gallon stock pot, I make the whole recipe and then freeze vats of it.

Minestrone

Yields: 30 servings (uses a 3 gallon soup pot)

Ingredients:

2/3 cup and 2 teaspoons olive oil (this can be reduced if need be)

11 cloves of garlic chopped

7-1/2 onions chopped

7-1/2 cups chopped celery

18-1/2 carrots sliced

7-1/2 cups chicken broth

7-1/2 cups water

15 cups V-8 juice

3 Tbsp. and 2-1/4 teaspoons red wine (optional; I did not use)

3-3/4 cups canned kidney beans drained

3-3/4 (15 oz.) cans green beans

7-1/2 cups baby spinach, rinsed

11 zucchinis, quartered and sliced

3 Tbsps. And 2-1/4 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano

1/3 cup and 2 Tbsps. Chopped fresh basil

Salt and pepper to taste

1-3/4 cups and 2 Tbsps. Seashell pasta (or any small pasta)

1/3 cup and 2 Tbsps. Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Directions:

1. Over medium-low heat in a large stock pot, heat olive oil and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth, water and V-8 juice. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. If desired, add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.
3. Cook your pasta separately according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
4. You may either put the pasta in the bowl and ladle soup over it, or add the pasta to the soup itself.
5. Garnish with grated parmesan when serving.
   

This soup has a very well balanced flavor which I attribute to the use of the fresh herbs and the V-8 juice as opposed to tomato juice. It freezes well. Enjoy.