And now allow me to praise a cookbook that I haven’t actually read. When An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler came out a couple years ago with its tagline of cooking “with economy and grace,” I thought it sounded kiiiiind of boring, despite the good reviews it was getting, and chose to ignore it. And then this weekend I was flipping through a food writing anthology and happened upon a chapter from the book called, “How to Live Well,” which, in my opinion, is such an eye-roll-worthy title that I almost flipped right past it. And then I realized what the entire chapter was about: beans.
It turns out that there’s a lot to be said about the humble bean, that darling of the Tuscans. Adler outlines how to cook ‘em, how to dress ‘em up, how to enjoy them, all in a tone that is straightforward but definitely not humorless. I was charmed. Knowing that Adler was an avid bean eater put me solidly in her court.
Another thing I liked about the chapter was that the recipe she gave for minestrone was incredibly elastic, because it’s supposed to reflect the season (and possibly your mental state, like a mood ring). Got some spring peas? Awesome. Winter root vegetables? Also cool. I tried my hand at the recipe this weekend, and the result was a thick, hearty vegetarian minestrone, perfect for winter. (And holy moly! That “whistling the skin off a bean” method she mentions actually works!) I’ll share the recipe I used below, but really, I suggest checking out the book and making that minestrone your own. And if you don’t have time for the whole book, don’t worry; I’ve already dropped enough Christmas hints that it will probably show up here again soon.
Vegetarian Winter Minestrone
- 1 ½ cups dried beans (I used white navy beans)
- Olive oil
- Salt
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 small onions, diced
- A bay leaf and dried thyme
- 5 cloves of garlic, sliced
- A pinch of dried chili flakes
- 1 large can of whole tomatoes
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 2 cubes frozen pesto
- 1 bouillon cube
- 2 small heads of bok choy
- 1 cup of small pasta (I used tiny bow-ties)
First, you have to cook those beans, and you can’t rush this part, but you can do it well in advance, if you want. Soak the beans overnight, and then rinse them and cover them with fresh water. Bring the water to a boil and then turn it down to a simmer. Add seasoning; I used half the carrot, celery and onion, a generous splash of olive oil, some thyme and bay leaf, and about a tablespoon of salt. Cover them and cook them until they’re nice and tender. When they’re really done, you can take out a bean and blow on it and the skin will break open.
If you’re cooking the minestrone the same night, then cook the rest of the carrot, celery and onion in a big pot along with the garlic, some olive oil and a little salt. When they’re tender, add the chili flakes and stir. Now you can add almost everything else: the beans (including the broth), the liquid from the tomatoes and a couple more cups of water, the tomatoes and bok choy, roughly chopped, and any other seasoning that you want (I used a veggie bouillon cube and a cheese rind and a cube of our own frozen pesto and a little more salt). The only thing that shouldn’t be in the pot by now is the pasta and one of the pesto cubes. Cover it and let it simmer for about 45 minutes.
When the minestrone is almost done, boil the pasta in salted water, drain it and stir it into the soup. Serve it up in big bowls, garnished with the thawed pesto.