Minestrone Soup

This recipe is my variation of a recipe I found in the Williams-Sonoma Appetizer book.

It's a delicious, hearty minestrone soup. My recipe includes many changes to give this soup more of an earthy, rich flavor. It's winter now and fresh tomatoes are out of season and I hate those flat tasting ones that are in the stores right now. Instead I found fire-roasted diced canned tomatoes at whole foods that are organic too. These tomatoes added a nice smoky flavor to the stock.

This soup does include one cup of diced pancetta and low sodium chicken stock. If you are vegetarian you can skip the meat and use water or vegetable broth for your base. If you leave out the stock all together, you may want to add some extra herbs from this recipe or your own choice to further enhance the flavor. I also recommend you allow the soup to simmer longer. That will give it time to develop it's own rich broth. I also added red pepper flakes, garlic, basil and parsley because I like my soup stock to have a nice, fresh flavor and smell.

Ingredients
1 can of small white beans (northern beans or cannellini beans)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions diced 1/4 inch size (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup of diced pancetta (diced to tiny pieces 1/8 inch)
3 carrots, peeled and diced 1/4 inch
2 celery stalks, diced to 1/4 inch
2 cans (1 lb) fire roasted diced tomatoes (I purchased the organic ones from whole foods)
3 cups chicken broth, low sodium
3 cups filtered water
1 1/2 - 2 cups russet potatoes, diced 1/4 inch
1/2 cup fresh green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups Swiss chard, chopped
1/4 cup basil sliced
2 gloves garlic minced
fresh chopped parsley
red pepper flakes (optional)
salt to taste
pepper to taste

In a large stock or soup pot heat olive oil. I like to add a fresh dashes of red pepper flakes and let them begin to sizzle, to give the oil a little flavor, but you can omit it if you like. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent. Add garlic and cook until garlic is slightly golden. be careful not to over cook. Add pancetta and stir until warm and integrated. Add celery, carrots and potatoes and stir. Cook until they just begin to soften. Add 1 and 1/2 can of tomatoes and liquid. (You can save the remainder of the tomatoes for a salsa or other dish or use only one can if you prefer.) Add broth and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer.

Drain white beans in a colander rinsing off liquid from can. Split bean in half. In a food processor or with a potato masher, mash beans into a puree.

Add the white beans, puree, green beans, parsley and basil to the pot. Let cook for another 5-10 minutes or until potatoes are nicely done. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Servings: 8