Gambardella's minestrone soup
Yield: 16 Servings
Ingredients:
- 1/2 c Dry cannellini or Great Northern beans
- 1/2 c Dry red kidney beans
- 1/2 c Dry garbanzo beans
- 1/2 c Dry lentils
- 1/4 c Dry split peas
- 1 sm White potato peeled & diced
- 4 Or 5 cups chicken or beef Broth
- 2 pk (16 oz pkgs) frozen Italian Vegetables
- 1/4 c Olive oil
- 1 lg Onion peeled and chopped
- 4 Cloves garlic peeled and Chopped
- 1 md Red bell pepper stemmed Seeded and chopped
- 3 lg Stalks celery diced
- 1 md Bulb fennel chopped
- 1/3 c Fresh basil chopped
- 1/2 c Fresh oregano chopped
- 1/4 c Parsley stems chopped
- 1/4 ts Dried rosemary crushed
- 1 tb Fennel seeds
- 1 tb Coarse salt
- 1 ts Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 c Fresh ripe tomatoes
Instructions:
diced Or peeled and diced canned Tomatoes Cooked pasta or rice 1. Soak the cannellini kidney and garbanzo beans lentils and peas in lots of water to cover overnight. The next day cook in 3 cups water 20 minutes; skim the foam from the top. Do not drain. 2. Simmer the potatoes in 1 cup broth 15 minutes; set aside. (Do not drain either preparation.) 3. In a heavy-bottomed 8-quart pot heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion garlic bell pepper celery and fennel; saute until the onions are golden. Add the basil oregano parsley rosemary fennel seeds salt and pepper; add simmered beans undrained potato and vegetables and tomatoes. Simmer 1 hour stirring occasionally. Add a little more broth if needed. 4. Serve over pasta or rice
