DEEP WINTER MINESTRA - BEANS AND GREENS SOUP

By Nana_CAM

Easy and inexpensive to prepare and serve this hearty, healthy soup any night of the week!

Ingredients

• 2 *2 tablespoons extra virgin oil olive (EVOO)
• 1/3 *1/3 pound thick-cut speck (smoked pancetta) or butcher thick-cut bacon, diced 1/8-inch
• 3/4 *3/4 pound crimini or mixed wild mushrooms (or a mix of wood ear and crimini mushrooms), thinly sliced
• 1 *1 medium onion, halved across and thinly sliced
• 4 *4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
• 2 *2 small bundles or l large bundle (about a pound) lacinato or Tucan black kale, stemmed and very thinly sliced
• *Salt and Pepper
• *Freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1 *1 can cannellini beans
• 1 *1 quart chicken, beef or mushroom stock
• 2 *2 cups water
• 1 *1 cup dried pastas, such as penne rigate, mezze riatoni or whole wheat short-cut pasta
• 1 *1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar or balsamic drizzle
• *Pecorino cheese, for grating
• *Crusty bread, for mopping

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO,
a couple turns of the pan. Add the speck or bacon and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and brown, 6-7 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook 5-6 minutes more to soften.

Wilt the greens into the pot and season with a little salt, lots of pepper and some nutmeg. Add the beans, stock and water to the pot and bring up to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce the heat to a low, rolling boil and cook until the pasta is al dente. Check the seasoning, then serve in shallow bowls with some grated Pecorino on top and crusty bread alongside, for mopping.