Serves4
- Active time:10 min
- Start to finish:30 min
October 2006
Here’s a hearty vegetable soup that doesn’t take as long to make as the classic but is much better than what you’ll find in a can.
-
1/4
cup
olive oil
-
1
small onion, coarsely chopped
-
4
garlic cloves, crushed in a garlic press
-
4
oz
pound prewashed and cut kale (6 cups)
-
1
(1-lb) bag frozen mixed Italian vegetables such as zucchini, green beans, cauliflower, and broccoli
-
1
(14 1/2-oz) can “petite” diced tomatoes in juice
-
1
cup
ditalini pasta or small elbow macaroni
-
5 1/4
cups
reduced-sodium chicken broth (42 fl oz)
-
2
cups
water
-
3/4
teaspoon
salt
-
1/2
teaspoon
black pepper
-
1
(19-oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
-
Accompaniment:
grated parmesan
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Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add kale and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add frozen vegetables, tomatoes with juice, pasta, broth, water, salt, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, transfer half of beans to a wide shallow bowl and coarsely mash with a fork or a potato masher, then stir mashed and whole beans into soup and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
