Cristina Ferrare’s Hearty Vegetable Minestrone

Courtesy of Cristina Ferrare.

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Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil		1/3 cup water
Salt pork (null), cut 3/4 piece		1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 medium onions, diced		1 quart chicken broth, made from the bones of a roasted chicken
2 garlic cloves, smashed		2 15 oz cans of white navy beans, or cannelinni beans
2 carrots, diced		1 1/2 cups small shell shaped pasta, orzo or your favorite
2 celery, diced		freshly grated parmesan cheese and romano cheese (for garnish)`
2 small zucchini, diced		1/4 cup fresh basil (for garnish)
2 tsp kosher salt		red pepper flakes, olive oil, balsamic syrup, to drizzle on top
2 tbsp tomato paste

Total:

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1
HEAT A LARGE STOCK POT OVER MEDIUM HIGH HEAT. ADD THE OLIVE OIL AND HEAT UNTIL HOT QUICKLY ADD THE SALT PORK, ONIONS AND SAUTE FOR 5 MINUTES UNTIL THE ONIONS START TO CARAMELIZE.
2
ADD GARLIC AND SAUTE FOR 30 SECONDS. ADD: CARROTS, CELERY, ZUCCHINI, AND SALT. SAUTE ALL THE VEGETABLES FOR 3 TO 4 MINUTES UNTIL THE VEGGIES START TO RELEASE THEIR JUICES. REMOVE THE GARLIC.
3
ADD: TOMATO PASTE COOK FOR 1 MINUTE STIRRING CONSTANTLY THEN ADD 1/2 CUP OF WATER, STIR COOK FOR 3 MINUTE. ADD: CANNED TOMATOES AND CHICKEN STOCK BRING TO A GENTLE BOIL. ADD: BEANS AND STIR EVERYTHING TOGETHER GENTLY.
4
SIMMER ON LOW HEAT COVERED FOR 45 MINUTES. REMOVE THE SALT PORK AND DISCARD.
5
PUREE IN BATCHES 3/4 OF THE SOUP IN A BLENDER UNTIL SEMI-SMOOTH. POUR BACK INTO THE STOCK POT, STIR, THIS WILL THICKEN YOUR SOUP. CORRECT SEASONING (TASTE FOR SALT YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED TO ADD MORE) 1/2 TSP. AT A TIME SO YOU DON'T OVER SALT. BRING THE SOUP BACK UP TO A GENTLE BOIL. ADD THE PASTA AND STIR WELL SO THE PASTA DOESN'T STICK. COOK UNTIL THE PASTA IS AL-DENTE.
6
LADLE INTO HEATED BOWLS. ADD FRESH PARMESAN CHEESE, FRESH BASIL, RED PEPPER FLAKES. I LIKE TO DRIZZLE ABOUT A TEASPOON OF OLIVE OIL OVER THE TOP AND THICKENED BALSAMIC VINEGAR.

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