Minestrone Soup

This is probably the best way to get yourself (or your kids) to eat vegetables; and God it's SO good!!
It requires a lot of chopping and preparation, but it can feed the entire village! (I'm kidding!) Well..the entire family (up to 8 person). As leftover, it's perfect as it gets better and better each day! If it gets too dense after a few days, just add chicken stock when you heat it up.

It can also be a vegetarian dish, for those who are vegetarian. Just skip the bacon and use vegetable stock instead.

This soup is very filling because of the beans, so it can be a meal by itself. Serve it over baguette and be prepared to smile when you see your kids eat their veggies and tell you how good this is!


INGREDIENTS

3 (14 ounces) cans white beans
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces bacon diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
3 carrot, diced
1 sprig rosemary, chopped
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bokcoy, sliced
1/2 white cabbage, chopped
3 leeks, sliced (don't use the leaves because it's hard)
3 zucchini, diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7 to 8 cups chicken stock
Handful basil, chopped
Handful Italian parsley, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Baguette, cut in diagonal, for serving

PREPARATION


Mash half the beans and leave the remaining half whole. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté bacon, garlic, onion, celery, carrot and rosemary for 5 to 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes, bokcoy, cabbage, leeks, zucchini, and beans (whole and mashed), bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.

Season the soup with salt and pepper. Add 7 cups chicken stock and bring to a boil. (If you prefer a thinner soup, add 1 cup more chicken stock.) Reduce heat and let the soup simmer, uncovered, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. 

Finish the soup with basil and parsley. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and baguette.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.