One soup that deserves all the attention is this Spring take on minestrone soup made with a parmesan broth, baby potatoes, loads of spring vegetables, and topped with a pistachio parsley gremolata.
1bunch(about 1 ounce) packed fresh Italian parsley leaves and stemsstems reserved for soup
3/4cupshelled pistachiosor raw almonds
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
8mediumgarlic clovessmashed and divided
3tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
For The Minestrone:
1/3cupextra-virgin olive oilplus more for garnish
1medium yellow onionsfinely chopped
kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3celery stalksfinely chopped
12cupslow-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1poundbaby potatoeshalved
Parmigiano Reggiano cheesewith rind
1sprigfresh rosemary
8ouncesharicots vertends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
6mediumzucchiniquartered lengthwise then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1poundfresh or frozen shelled sweet peas
1poundfresh fava beansor 2 cups frozen lima beans
For Serving:
Toasted crusty country bread
Instructions
Make The Gremolata: Combine all the parsley leaves (reserve the stems for the soup), pistachios or almonds, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, the lemon juice, and a splash of water in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth, then transfer to a bowl. Stir in lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add enough water to make the mixture loose like a pesto. TIP: The gremolata can be made up to two days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container.
Blanch The Fava Beans: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil, fill a bowl halfway with ice water, and shell the fava beans. When the water is ready, drop the beans into the water, and boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to ice water until cool. Drain, then remove the fava skins by splitting open the skin and squeezing out the bean. Meanwhile, start the soup.TIP: The fava beans can be blanched up to two days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container. If you use the lima beans, you can skip this step.
Make The Minestrone Broth: Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. When it shimmers, add onion and garlic, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add all the broth and bring to a boil over high heat.Tie parsley stems together with kitchen string and pot with parmesan rind (reserve the rest of cheese for garnish) and potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. TIP: The soup can be made through this step up to four days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to proceed.
Add the zucchini and haricots verts and cook until the beans are bright green and just tender for about 10 minutes. Add fava beans and peas, and cook until the peas and beans are bright green, about 2 minutes. Discard parsley and cheese rind and add more salt and black pepper to taste.TIP: The soup can be made through this step up to two days ahead of time. Store refrigerated in an airtight container until ready to proceed.
Serve The Soup: Divide the soup into bowls, top with a dollop of gremolata and shavings of cheese, and serve with bread, additional cheese, and gremolata passed on the side. Stir in the gremolata just before eating.