Italian Soups

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Minestrone

Italian pasta and Bean Soup

Creamy Mussel Soup

 

Minestrone

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried white beans

1 tblspn flour

6 cups chicken stock

1 cup mushrooms

150gms (5oz) green beens

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 cup small shell pasta

Salt & pepper

3/4 cup canned tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup of olive oil
   
  1. Get 4 cups of water with one tablespoon of flour in it and soak the beans for 8 hours.
  2. Rinse the beans, combine them with 6 cups of chicken stock in a large saucepan and simmer, covered, for around one hour.
  3. Add the mushrooms to the cooked beans. Also add the green beans, carrots, olive oil and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper.
  4. Add another two cups of water, bring to boil and simmer coverd for approximately 30 minutes. Add pasta, some more pepper and tomatoes, cook for about 10 minutes. It's now ready to eat.

 

Italian pasta and Bean Soup
source: Vegetarian Soups for all Seasons by Nava Atlas
serves 8
Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 large celery stalk, cut into 1/4 inch dice
4 cups cooked Great Northern Beans from about 1 1/2 cups dry.

7 cups cooking liquid from beans or water.
2 cups diced zucchini
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Herb Mix
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups ditalini (tiny tubular pasta)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

  1. Pick over beans, then rinse thoroughly. Put the 1 1/2 cups beans in a large bowl with 4 times more water than beans and leave to soak over night. Drain off soaking water and put beans in a heavy skillet or saucepan with the specified about of water. Bring the beans to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer until tender.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery and sauté over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the onion is golden. Add the beans, cooking liquid or water, zucchini, bay leaves, herb mix and tomato paste.
  3. Bring to a simmer, The simmer gently, covered until the zucchini is just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the soup to stand for an hour or so to develop flavor.
  4. In a separate saucepan, cook the pasta al dente. Rinse briefly under cool water until it stops steaming. Add the parsley to the soup and heat it through. when the soup is hot, add the cooked pasta and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve at once.

Creamy Mussel Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups of dry white wine

1 tblspn sambal oelek (chilli paste)

2 tblspn lemon juice

1/4 tspn cracked black pepper

2 cloves garlic, crushed

500g (1lb) mussels, scrubbed and debearded

1 1/2 cups cream

1 tblspn chopped fresh dill

  

 

  1. Add wine, sambal oelek, lemon juice, pepper and garlic to a large saucepan. Bring to the boil, add mussels and cook for 4 minutes.
  2. Remove mussels from liquid and return liquid to the heat. Add cream to the liquid and bring to the boil, reduce heat, simmer for 12 minutes.
  3. Remove mussel flesh from shells and stir into soup mixture. Serve immediately and garnish with dill.