Molly Oneills Summer Minestrone Recipes

MOLLY O'NEILL'S SUMMER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Cut the eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Weight the eggplant with a can placed on a small plate and set the colander in the sink to drain for at least 1 hour. Then rinse the cubes thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.
• Cut the potato and carrot into cubes the same size as the eggplant. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, discard the seeds and white membrane and slice thinly.
• Turn the heat to medium-high and add the the oil to a big heavy saucepan. Saute the eggplant and potato for about 5 minutes, or until they just start to brown along the edges. Stir in the onion and celery, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring, until the onion softens and starts to turn golden. Add the carrot, chard, green beans and pepper and stir to combine well.
• Add 1/2 cup hot water to the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, zucchini and the aromatics along with the chili pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, adding small amounts of water from time to time if necessary. Remove the bay leaf and serve immediately.

SUMMER MINESTRONE SOUP

Steps:

• In soup pot melt butter and saute onion and garlic. Add carrots and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash and zucchini. Season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Add hot chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Add pasta, tomatoes and broccoli. Simmer until pasta is cooked through, about 5 minutes

SUMMER MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large, heavy pot add a 3-count of extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic, onion, bay leaf, marjoram and basil. Saute gently until fragrant. Add the vegetables and cook a little of the moisture out, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Dump in the chicken stock and heavy cream bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 so the flavours can come together - do not let it boil hard. Remove half of the vegetables from the pot and puree and add back to the pot to thicken. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until the vegetables are just tender. Serve each bowl with a spoonful of basil and mint pesto on top, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with watercress or parsley.
• Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until just combined and the pesto still has a lot of texture.

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH FRESH BASIL

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large, heavy soup pot or Dutch oven and add the onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes, and add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 more minutes. Add the garlic, stir together for about a minute, and stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes. Stir in 2 quarts water, the turnip, zucchini, and the bouquet garni, and bring to a simmer. Add 2 teaspoons salt, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the canned beans. Taste and adjust salt. Remove the bouquet garni.
• While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the green beans. Boil 5 minutes, until just tender but still bright green. Transfer to a bowl of ice water, allow to cool, and drain. Retain the cooking water in case you want to thin out the soup later.
• Add the pasta to the soup and simmer another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked al dente. Stir the cooked green beans into the soup. Grind in some pepper and taste and adjust seasonings. It should be savory and rich-tasting.
• Stir in the basil or pistou, or place a spoonful of pistou in each bowl and stir in. Serve in wide soup bowls, with a sprinkling of Parmesan over the top.

POTATO-AND-SHRIMP SALAD WITH PEAS AND BASIL OIL

Steps:

• Combine potatoes, shrimp, peas and jalapeno in a bowl. Toss in the basil oil, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Can be served cold or at room temperature.