If someone ever tells you they have the best recipe for minestrone, chalk them off the list of cooking sources you trust. I know this is an uncharacteristically harsh assertion for someone who believes anyone can (and should) cook, but follow me for a second. The word ‘minestrone’ literally means ‘big soup’ and can be defined as a mixed vegetable soup cooked in salted water. It follows then that minestrone sidesteps any kind of codification because its very nature links it inevitably to seasonal ingredients, geographies, and the imagination of the chef.
To better understand the subject, take a look at my IGTV channel for a video I posted back in April about how minestrone played a part in the rivalry between my mother and her mother-in-law (my paternal grandmother) – a rivalry in which we all chose not to pick sides, lest we lose our access to either of the very different and equally delicious versions of minestrone they produced.
Today, I am sharing a version graced by nutrient-rich, colorful summer vegetables with high water content. Flavor and texture are added by the beans and shiitake, a year-round mushroom. This minestrone is truly at its best when served chilled.
Cold Summer Minestrone by Viola Buitoni
Serves 4 to 6 people
Ingredients:
1 small onion
1 small celery rib
1 medium carrot
3 leaves chard
½ pound unshelled fresh cannellini or borlotti beans
2 1”-long strips of lemon peel
½ pound unshelled English peas
10 medium shiitake mushrooms
¼ lb string beans
2 small zucchini (or yellow squash)
⅓ cup super-sweet cherry tomatoes
¼ cup basil leaves
Dice the onion. Thinly slice horizontally. Peel and slice the carrots into thin rounds. Separate the chard leaves from the stems and slice the stems horizontally. Shuck the fresh beans.
Place the onions, celery, carrots, and beans in a pot with the lemon peel. Add 2 teaspoons salt and cover with a quart of water. Bring to a lively simmer and cook while you prepare the rest of the vegetables.
Shuck the peas.
Remove the stem from the shiitake mushroom and slice the caps thinly.
Remove the stem from the string beans and slice in 1/2” logs at a slant.
Cut the zucchini in 1/8” rounds.
Halve the tomatoes.
Roughly chop the chard leaves.
Stack the basil leaves, roll tightly and cut in thin ribbons.
Add the peas first and cook for about 5 minutes. Toss in the mushrooms and give them 5 minutes to cook. Next, cook the string beans for 2 to 3 minutes. Zucchini go in next for about 3 minutes. Tomatoes and chard leaves are last. Give the tomatoes some time to become just wrinkly enough and the leaves have wilted (quite tender but still bright green).
Your minestrone is now ready and should be fairly dense. If you like it brothier, add some water. Adjust salt and pepper to taste and let cool.
Serve at room temperature chilled, drizzled with olive oil, dusted with Parmigiano cheese and garnished with the basil ribbons.
A couple of notes:
Canned beans work in a pinch, but add them at the very end after having drained and rinsed them.
You can also use rice instead of beans. Cook it separately until al dente and add it to the minestrone while still cooling.
For an added twist, dress the minestrone with a light, diluted pesto.
Mint, parsley, tarragon or marjoram are also good herbs to use.