Recipe - Autumn Minestrone With Kale Pesto

1 cup Dried white beans; such as
flageolets, soaked
overnight
One half cup Wheat berries; soaked
overnight
6 cup Water
1 Leafy celery top
1 Piece carrot
1 Bay leaf
1 tablespoon Light olive oil or canola
oil
2 Garlic cloves; halved

SOUP
1 teaspoon Extra virgin olive oil
1 Onion; chopped
3 Garlic cloves; minced
1 Carrots; minced
1 Parsnip; minced
One half small Head savoy cabbage; halved
and cored and coarsely
chopped, divided use
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh sage or
3/4teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon Chopped fresh rosemary
leaves
Salt and cayenne pepper; to
taste
14 ounce Diced tomatoes; canned, with
juice
5 teaspoon Vegetarian bouillon

ADDITIONS
One half pound Green beans; ends trimmed
and cut into 1+1/2inch
lengths or shorter,
blanched and refreshed
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh parsley;
preferably Italian
flatleaf
2 tablespoon Chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon Kale pesto; see recipe
Three fourths cup Freshly grated Parmesan
cheese; optional garnish

MAKES 4quarts; 8 as main course.

BEANS AND WHEAT BERRIES: Rinse the soaked beans and wheat berries and put
them in a pressure cooker. Add the water, leafy piece of celery, chunk of
carrot, bay leaf or two, light olive oil or canola oil and garlic cloves,
halved, green centers removed. Stir well. The pressure cooker should be
about half full, no more than twothirds full. Cover and lock; heat to full
pressure. Let cook under pressure about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and
let the cooker stand on the same burner for about 1 hour or until it cools
of it's own accord. Discard the celery; mash the cooked chunk of carrot.
Remove the bay leaf and boiled garlic (if you prefer). Pour the beans and
wheat berries into a large strainer over a 4cup or large measuring bowl.

Blanch the green beans in plenty of boiling water for abotu 60 to 90
seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain. Set aside.

SOUP: While the cooker cools, start the soup. In a large pot or Dutch oven
(56 qt), heat (extra) virgin olive oil to medium and add the onion. Cook,
stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, minced carrot,
minced parsnip, half of the chopped cabbage, sage (chopped or chiffonade)
and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minute more. Add
pinches of salt and cayenne pepper. Stir well.

Finally add the tomatoes with juice, water reserved from pressure cooker,
vegetarian bouillon (cubes or paste) and the rest of the cabbage. Add water
to cover the vegetables by about 1/2inch or more. Bring to a simmer (do no
boil); cover; reduce heat; and simmer gently at least 15 minutes. Add the
green beans, white beans and wheat berries. Heat through. Add parsley,
cilantro and kale pesto. Turn off heat and let stand about 5 minutes.

Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, rubbed sage, garlic powder. Serve with
a warmed crusty french roll. Offer the Parmesan at table.

(The soup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Hanneman Tested: 10/12/98 [Per serving Calories 236; Fat 6G (20%cff);
Cholesterol 6mg; Sodium 271mg; Potassium 760mg; 38g carbs, 5g fiber
estimate: wheat berries are not in the database]

NOTES : Based on Janet Fletcher's Soup and Barbara Gollman and Kim Pierce's
Phytopia Pesto.

Recipe by: based on Eating Well Oct 1998 p66: "Autumn Minestrone"

Posted to EATLF Digest by Pat Hanneman kitpath@earthlink.net on Oct 13,
1998, converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.