Minestrone

Ingredients:

For beans:

1 pound dried beans, such as cannelloni or cranberry beans

1 1/2 tablespoons salt, for soaking

1 leek top (use bottom white part for soup), split down the middle lengthwise, cleaned but left whole

1 small onion, cut in half, skin on

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 carrot, cut in half

1 celery stalk, cut in half

1 bay leaf

2-3 sprigs rosemary, whole

For soup:

1/2 the amount of cooked beans & cooking liquid per bean recipe (freeze the rest)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 leek, white part only, chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 head garlic cloves, minced

2 28-ounce cans chopped tomatoes with juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (to taste)

A bouquet garni made with a bay leaf, 1 or 2 Parmesan rinds, and a few sprigs of thyme and parsley

1 cup small pasta like elbow macaroni or small shells

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

pecorino romano or Parmesan cheese, grated to taste

Method:

1. First, the beans. The day or night before you want to make your soup, soak your beans. Dissolve 1-1/2 tablespoons of salt in 2 quarts (8 cups) of water. Place your beans in a large bowl and cover the with the salty water. Let the beans soak overnight at room temperature. You can let them soak between 8-24 hours.
2. The next day, strain the beans and place them in a large dutch oven or stockpot along with: the leek green top (make sure it’s well rinsed of soil), the onion but in half with the skin still on, the carrot, celery, bay leaf, rosemary and garlic cloves. Add enough water to cover the beans over 2 inches. Heat to a simmer, turn down heat and simmer on low for approximately one hour, or until beans are tender.
3. When beans are tender, remove from heat. Remove. the vegetables, the garlic cloves, bay leaf and rosemary sprigs. Remove half the beans and reserve for another use. They freeze really well in some of their cooking liquid.
4. Start the soup. In a large dutch oven or pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, herbs, bouquet garni, parmesan rind, salt/pepper and cook till soft. Add the leek, carrots, and celery and cook for another 10-15 mins on low heat.
5. Add the swiss chard and cook for another 7 mins on low.
6. Add the cooked beans, 4 cups of their cooking liquid, the canned tomatoes, and vinegar. Bring to boil then turn to low and simmer for 2 hours (very low simmer).
7. Par cook pasta in boiling water, half the time recommended on packaging.
8. Add pasta to soup, and cook until done.
9. If soup is too thick, you can add some water to thin.
10. Taste for seasoning. Remove bouquet garni, and add grated cheese, and salt/pepper to taste. (I recommend extra grated cheese and black pepper.) Serve with more cheese & crusty bread.