Meaty Minestrone

Ingredients

2-3 T olive oil for sautéing

2 C chopped onions

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp salt

1 C cut green beans

2 C chopped carrots

1-2 C sliced or diced zucchini

1 C diced red bell pepper

2 C canned or fresh tomatoes

½ C corn kernels

¼ C chopped fresh basil and/or 2 T dried

1 T minced fresh marjoram and/or 2 tsp dried

2 tsp dried oregano or 1 tsp fresh

4 C chicken or beef broth

1 can pinto (preferred) or navy beans, drained

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained

½ C sliced and quartered pepperoni

½ lb Italian sausage, mild or hot

¼ C fresh parsley, chopped fine

Directions:

Slice or break up sausage, brown in skillet and set aside.

In large soup pot sauté garlic and onions in oil and salt until onions are soft and translucent.  Add some dried herbs now and cook a few minutes longer.

Add carrots and green beans and simmer covered for about 10 minutes.

Add zucchini, tomatoes, corn, and red pepper, cover, and cook 5 minutes more.

Add fresh herbs, if available, (use up to half of the parsley) and cook a few minutes. If fresh herbs are not available more dried herbs can be added.

Add stock, beans, sausage, and pepperoni and simmer 15 to 30 minutes.

Sample and adjust with more herbs and seasoning.

Add remaining fresh parsley and serve.

Soup notes:

Recipe source

The recipe of this soup, one of my favorites and most popular with the family, is based on a summer minestrone recipe I found in the Moosewood Daily Special.  However, all Moosewood recipes are vegetarian and as I am no vegetarian I often violate these recipes with meat ingredients—especially the broths. 

The changes I have made to the recipe that I feel makes this soup special are:

·    The addition of pepperoni and sausage

·    Use of both dark red kidney beans and pinto beans

·    Herb layering

Italian sausage

Spicy Italian sausage really adds a wonderful kick to this soup.  I’ve used pork sausage but I especially like the texture of veal sausage and prefer to use the latter if I can obtain it.

Layering herbs.

I read about this technique in a column by Joe Crea in the Cleveland Plain Dealer many years ago.  I do not know when he wrote this piece on soup making, but I still have the clipping tucked into the pocket of my recipe notebook and have yet to find a better description of good soup making. He cites Cajun chef Paul Prudhomme and explains that ingredients added earlier and cooked longer taste different than those added later.  Thus adding some dried herbs early as the onions soften, then some fresh or dried herbs later, and more fresh herbs at the end adds complexity and flavor.  This soup seems to taste the best when fresh herbs are available and I can layer both dried and fresh herbs as described in the recipe.

Other herbs, dried and fresh, can be used in addition to those listed in the recipe:  savory, thyme, tarragon, and lovage.  Tarragon and lovage can be dominant flavors and should be used sparingly.