Read Online Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes by Peter Kaminsky, Marie Rama - Free Book Online Page A

it calls for cabbage, ours is more of a winter version, but you could easily substitute such spring or summer vegetables as green beans or zucchini. Experiment with the recipe that follows, but be sure the finished soup is quite thick. You want that lovely mix of vegetables sitting up, not swimming, in the broth. You don’t usually find tasty chunks of bacon floating in minestrone, but you will here.
    This makes a big pot of soup, but the good news is it’s fairly inexpensive and can be refrigerated or frozen to serve weeks later. Fresh oregano is added at two points in the cooking: the first time to infuse the broth; the second time, just before the soup has finished simmering. This second addition punches up the herb flavor, allowing it to come through when most needed. You’ll note that here we chose to add the bacon rind to the broth for extra flavor and body.
    12 ounces slab bacon, with rind
    1 large onion, finely chopped
    1 cup ½-inch pieces fennel
    2 medium-size carrots, trimmed, peeled, and sliced crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds
    2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
    1 can (14½ ounces) diced tomatoes
    8 cups low-sodium chicken stock, or more, if necessary
    1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
    2 bay leaves
    3 to 4 cups (about 6 ounces) coarsely chopped cored green cabbage (see Note)
    1 can (15½ ounces) cannellini or red kidney beans (optional), rinsed and drained
    ⅔ cup small pasta, such as ditalini, farfalline, or small shells
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    1 loaf crusty French bread, sliced and drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil
    1 Using a sharp chef’s knife, remove the rind from the slab bacon and set the rind aside. Cut the bacon slab into ½-inch cubes (see the facing page).
    2 Place a soup pot or large Dutch oven over medium heat; add the bacon cubes, and cook until browned, 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the bacon starts to brown too quickly before the fat is rendered, reduce the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon cubes to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, setting aside 2 to 3 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pot. After the bacon has cooled, remove and discard any solid cubes of fat.
    3 Add the onion, fennel, and carrots to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, stir the vegetables to coat them with the bacon fat and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook the vegetables over medium heat until they have softened but not browned, 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    4 Stir in the tomatoes, browned bacon cubes, reserved bacon rind, and the chicken stock, 1½ teaspoons of the oregano, the bay leaves, and 1 cup of water. Cover the pot and increase the heat sufficiently to let the soup come to a boil. Then, reduce the heat as necessary and let the soup simmer, partially covered, until the bacon cubes are quite tender, about 30 minutes, occasionally skimming any fat or foam that rises to the surface with a large spoon. Remove and discard the bacon rind and bay leaves.
    5 Stir in the cabbage and beans, if using. Cover the pot and let the soup come to a boil. Add the pasta, reduce the heat as necessary, and let the soup simmer, partially covered, until the pasta is al dente, 6 to 7 minutes, depending on the size of the pasta. Check the soup’s consistency and, if desired, add ½ to 1 cup more water or chicken stock, if you have it.
    6 Add the remaining 1½ teaspoons of oregano. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle the minestrone into individual serving bowls and serve it with Parmesan cheese and the slices of French bread. The soup can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 5 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
    Note: If you buy a small head of cabbage and have leftovers after making the minestrone, slice the cabbage thinly and then sauté it with some chopped fresh ginger, some garlic, and two or three