Clams in a Savory Tomato-Vegetable Soup

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the string beans and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the corn and cook until the vegetables are tender but still firm, about 2 minutes. Drain, and rinse under cold water to cool.

   Step 2

   Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add 4 of the garlic cloves and cook, shaking the pan, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully pour in the tomatoes and vegetable stock or water, sprinkle with the crushed red pepper, and season lightly with salt. Bring to a boil, then adjust the heat to simmering. Cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes are softened and the soup is slightly reduced, about 20 minutes.

   Step 3

   Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a wide 4-quart casserole. Add the remaining 4 cloves garlic and cook, shaking the casserole, until the garlic is golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Slide the clams into the casserole, cover with a lid, and cook 2 minutes, shaking the pan several times. Pour the tomato-stock mixture into the casserole, stir in the string beans and corn, and bring to a vigorous boil. Cook, covered, until the clams open, about 4 minutes. Stir the clams once or twice so they cook evenly. Remove from the heat, discard any clams that haven’t opened, and stir in the parsley and basil. Taste and season with salt if necessary. Divide the clams among warm soup bowls and, if you like, drizzle each bowl with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Pass a basket of the zoccoli or bread separately.