Minestrone alla Romagnola - Vegetable Soup, Romagna Style

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Servings: 68 servings

Course: Main Dish

Main Ingredients

1 lb fresh zucchini 455 g
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 120 ml
3 tbsp butter 40 g
1 cup onion sliced very thin 240 ml
1 cup diced carrots 240 ml
1 cup diced celery 240 ml
2 cups peeled diced potatoes (480 ml)
1/4 lb fresh green beans 115 g
3 cups shredded Savoy cabbage OR regular cabbage 720 ml
1 1/2 cups canned cannellini beans drained (360 ml)
6 cups Basic Homemade Meat Broth 1.4 L
OPTIONAL: the crust from a 1- to 2-pound piece of parmigiano-reggiano cheese carefully scraped clean
2/3 cup canned imported Italian plum tomatoes with their juice (160 ml)
Salt
1/3 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese 80 ml

Soak the zucchini in cold water at least 20 minutes, rinse well, trim both ends, and dice.
In a stockpot, cook olive oil, butter, and thin-sliced onion over medium-low until the onion softens and turns a pale gold.
Add carrots and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once or twice. Add celery and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add potatoes and cook the same way.
While those cook, soak and rinse the green beans, trim both ends, and dice. Add green beans to the pot. After 2 to 3 minutes, add zucchini, stirring now and then. After a few minutes, add cabbage and cook 5 to 6 minutes more.
Add broth, the optional cheese crust, tomatoes with their juice, and a sprinkling of salt. Cover and adjust heat so the soup simmers gently.
After 2 1/2 hours, stir in the drained cannellini beans and cook at least 30 minutes longer, until the soup is dense. If it thickens too much before it is finished, thin with more broth, or with water if you started from canned broth.
Right before turning off the heat, remove the cheese crust, stir in the grated cheese, then taste and correct for salt.

Let us know how it was!