Name: Green Minestrone for the First Warm Week
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced; 2 stalks celery, finely diced; 1 small fennel bulb, finely diced (optional); 3 garlic cloves, sliced; 6 cups good chicken or vegetable stock; 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 1 piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional but recommended); 1 bay leaf; 1/2 cup small pasta (ditalini, small shells, or broken spaghetti); 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 cup fresh or frozen peas; 1 cup fresh or frozen fava beans (optional); Kosher salt and pepper; Torn basil leaves, grated Parmigiano, and your best olive oil, to serve

The Italian word minestrone just means "big soup," and at its most basic it is whatever vegetables you have, plus a bean and a small pasta, simmered in stock. The proportions change with the seasons. This is the spring version: leek instead of onion, peas and fava and asparagus instead of cabbage and squash, small white beans for body, a quick simmer rather than a long one.

A Parmesan rind is the secret ingredient — it lives in the freezer of every Italian grandmother and contributes a salty, nutty undertone to the broth as the soup simmers. If you do not have one, grate generous Parmigiano at the table.

Serve with crusty bread, a green salad, and the same dry white you cook with.

Ingredients

Serves 6

3 tbspolive oil
2leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced
2 stalkscelery, finely diced
1small fennel bulb, finely diced (optional)
3garlic cloves, sliced
6 cupsgood chicken or vegetable stock
1 (15 oz)can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano rind (optional but recommended)
1bay leaf
½ cupsmall pasta (ditalini, small shells, or broken spaghetti)
1 bunchasparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cupfresh or frozen peas
1 cupfresh or frozen fava beans (optional)
to tastekosher salt and pepper
to servetorn basil leaves, grated Parmigiano, your best olive oil

Equipment. A 5- to 6-quart pot. A Dutch oven if you have one.

Method

Sweat the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, celery, fennel and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until soft and translucent — about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
Build the broth. Add the stock, cannellini beans, Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes to develop flavor.
Cook the pasta. Add the pasta and simmer for half the time the package suggests (it will finish cooking with the vegetables).
Add the green vegetables. Add the asparagus, peas and fava beans. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes — the vegetables should still be bright green, just tender.
Adjust and serve. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaf. Taste and season generously with salt and pepper. Ladle into warm bowls; top with torn basil, grated Parmigiano, a final drizzle of olive oil, and cracked pepper.

A Parmesan rind in the broth is the difference between a soup that is fine and one that is special.

Notes & substitutions

Beans Cannellini are traditional; great Northern or navy beans work equally well.
Pasta Cook the pasta separately if you plan to refrigerate leftovers — it will turn to mush sitting in the broth.
Substitutions No asparagus? Use green beans. No fava? More peas. The point is bright, fresh, green.
Vegetarian Vegetable stock works beautifully — use a good one. The Parmesan rind already does most of the work.