Minestrone has a long history in Italian cuisine and, not surprisingly, many interpretations. Old tales recount how Roman soldiers lived on a diet of minestrone and chickpeas, a strange assertion since many of the soup’s classic ingredients—tomatoes, potatoes, beans—are New World foods that were not available at the time. By the end of the sixteenth century, the core concept had become a tasty mixture of vegetables, including dried beans, with pasta and/or potatoes. If you can find them, use borlotti (cranberry) beans, a specialty of Tuscany. Swirling a pesto of arugula, rather than the more prosaic basil, into the minestrone imparts a refreshing change. Other unusual elements in the soup are a tiny spritz of vinegar and the use of shallot instead of garlic. The pesto is also good for dolloping on plain boiled potatoes or a simply cooked fish fillet or chicken breast, or on bruschetta, for serving as an appetizer.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6
Ingredients
Pesto
Soup
Preparation
Step 1
To make the pesto, in a food processor, combine the pine nuts and shallot and process until very finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Set aside, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Step 2
To make the soup, in a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until wilted, 2 minutes. Add the carrot, celery, oregano, rosemary, and salt and sauté until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Stir in the tomato paste, broth, and water, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender and the broth is richly flavored, about 15 minutes.
Step 4
Add the potato and sausage balls and continue cooking, uncovered, until the potatoes are just soft enough to mash, 20 to 25 minutes.
Step 5
To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon or so of the pesto. Pass the remaining pesto at the table.
