Hearty Minestrone

(serves 4-6)

2-3 slices bacon, cut into thin strips
1 medium yellow onion, medium dice
1 celery stalk, medium dice
1 carrot, medium dice
2-3 swiss chard ribs (save leaves for later), medium dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs. tomato paste
1/2 can crushed tomatoes
4-5 cups chicken stock or broth
1-2 cups sliced savoy cabbage
1-2 cups sliced swiss chard leaves
1-2 cups torn kale leaves
1 can cannelini beans
1 parmesan rind (optional)
salt and pepper

1) Add bacon to a cold heavy-bottom sauce pan and turn the heat on medium-high. Cook until the bacon is crisp and has rendered out the fat.

2) Add carrots, celery, onion, and swiss chard ribs to the bacon and stir. This is the modified "soffritto" base, which is typically carrots, celery, onion (mire poix) + swiss chard ribs and pancetta. Cook until nice and caramelized with lots of brown bits, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant.

3) Push vegetables to the side and add tomato paste to the pot. Let it get a bit toasty (but not burned), and then stir it into the soffritto mix.

4) Add crushed tomatoes and chicken stock/broth, scraping up the brown bits that have developed on the bottom of the pot. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

5) Add cabbage, chard, kale, and cannelini beans to the pot. Throw in that parmesan rind if you have it (it adds great flavor, but don't go out and buy some!). Cover and let simmer for 30-45 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper and serve!

Ingredients

Bacon rendering

The soffritto becoming caramelized

Adding the greens

Soup!

This is the perfect winter stew, and it freezes beautifully--the first time I made it, I froze it in individual serving-sized tupperware containers, which made the best to-go/re-heatable lunch. The key to making this soup is patience. Cook the soffritto longer than you think you have to! Take the time to toast the tomato paste! And simmer it for a looooong while. The longer the better! The thing I love about making soup is that you can make a day of it, taking your time as you go--and while the soup is simmering you have time to clean up the mess you made! This soup has a nice rich, savory, deep-flavored base (due to the smoky bacon, and also the caramelized soffritto) and tons of hearty vegetables. I read somewhere that this soup should also have noodles, but I don't think it's necessary; I prefer to load it up with healthy greens and beans instead.

In response to Jenny's stock discussion earlier, I would also agree that homemade chicken stock is truly the best here. I didn't have enough of my frozen homemade stuff, so I supplemented it with some boxed broth, but I can attest to the fact that homemade is sooo much richer (I, like Jenny, didn't skim the fat while I was making stock, and really I think it's all the more delicious that way!).

If you want to get fancy, you can finish the soup with a drizzle of really good olive oil, or some snowy parmesan or pecorino cheese, or some torn basil if you've got it (can't wait for summer!)... Bon Appetit!