Recipes

Spring Green Minestrone

This vibrant celebration of the season’s first tender vegetables is not your nonna’s boring minestrone. The addition of cheese tortellini transforms this soup from side dish to hearty first course. But don’t limit yourself to what’s included in the recipe: base your ingredients on whatever looks freshest at the market (or whatever needs to be used up from your fridge).

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks, white part only, washed and sliced into thin half moons
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon pepper
8 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup, small broccoli florets (approx 3oz)
1 cup kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (approx 4oz)
1 cup zucchini, sliced ½-inch thick and cut in quarters (approx 4½oz)
1 cup asparagus, cut into ½-inch pieces – tough stem ends discarded (approx 4oz)
1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed & cut in half (approx 4oz)
1 cup spinach, roughly chopped (approx 1oz)
one 14oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1lb Armanino Four Cheese Tortellini
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
⅓ cup Armanino Basil Pesto
grated parmesan for garnish

Directions

Heat a large stockpot over medium high and add the olive oil.
Sauté the leeks until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and sauté for two minutes.
Pour in the stock, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium.
Add the firmer vegetables – broccoli, kale, zucchini – and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the softer vegetables – asparagus, sugar snap peas, spinach – along with the tortellini and beans and cook for 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the basil pesto, parsley, dill, lemon zest and juice. Taste and add additional salt if needed.
Serve hot, garnished with a generous sprinkle of grated parmesan.

Chef’s Tips

Any combination of green vegetables work here and the recipe is great for using up little bits of this and that. Frozen vegetables work great too – add toward the end as they’re already cooked.
Take care to add the vegetables to the pot at the right time to avoid overcooking. Hard vegetables like celery and fennel should go in when the garlic is added. Firmer vegetables – broccoli, kale, zucchini, green beans – go into the hot stock first for about 3-4 minutes. The softer vegetables – asparagus, spinach, green beans, scallions, peas (sugar snap, snow or frozen) – go into the pot toward the end for the shortest cooking time.
Serve with garlic bread for dipping or alongside a sandwich or something heartier for a full meal. If desired, add some Armanino ½ oz Gourmet Meatballs in the hot broth with the first round of vegetables.