Late-Summer-Vegetable Minestrone

By nlhartman

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small onions, chopped (2 cups)
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced (2 tablespoons)
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds, larger rounds halved (1 cup)
• 2 celery stalks, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 1 bunch red Swiss chard, leaves torn into small pieces (4 packed cups), stems cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 4 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled (optional) and diced (2 cups)
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 medium zucchini or yellow squashes, or a combination, cut into a 1/2-inch dice (3 cups)
• 1 Parmesan rind or 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus more, grated, for serving
• 1 can (15 ounces) butter beans, cannellini beans, or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Fresh basil leaves, torn if large, for serving (optional)

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 60mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from marthastewart.com

Preparation

Step 1

Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and chard stems; cook, stirring occasionally, until chard stems are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add green beans and tomatoes. Season with 2 teaspoons salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until beans and tomatoes start to soften, 5 minutes.

Add zucchini, 5 cups water, Parmesan rind, and butter beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until all vegetables are softened, about 25 minutes, adding chard leaves in last 2 minutes of cooking. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately, topped with grated Parmesan and basil, or freeze up to 3 months.