Minestra
Minestra is a Genoese soup built on a smooth purée of pumpkin, courgette, aubergine and kohlrabi, finished with a raw paste of basil and garlic pounded in a mortar. The paste is stirred in after cooking, so the garlic keeps its sharpness against the sweet vegetables. Kidney beans and pasta make it filling. It is neither the Basque menestra nor a chunky minestrone.
Instructions
Roughly dice the courgettes, aubergine, pumpkin, onion, kohlrabi and turnips. Put them in a large pot or pressure cooker with the vegetable stock and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Cook under pressure for 8 to 10 minutes, or simmer in an open pot for 1 hour, until the vegetables are completely soft. Let the mixture cool, then purée it until smooth.
Pound a large handful of basil leaves with about 6 cloves of garlic in a mortar. Keep going until you have a rough, gritty paste, then stir it into the purée and season with salt and pepper to taste.
While the soup base is being made, boil the soaked kidney beans in a separate pot until they are soft. Drain them and stir them into the purée.
Boil the fideua or broken spaghetti until al dente, drain it, and add it to the pot. Serve with grated Parmesan or hard Edam sprinkled on top.
Make it personal.
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