Winter Minestrone

from Recipes from the Root Cellar by Andrea Chesman

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 celery root, peeled and diced
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups vegetable broth, chicken broth, or turkey broth
• 1 quart crushed tomatoes or tomato puree, or 1 (28-ounce can)
• 3 cups thinly sliced green or savoy cabbage, or kale (remove and discard tough stems from kale)
• 1 ½ cups cooked white beans (cannelloni, navy, pea) or 1 (15-ounce) can, rinsed and drained
• 1 tsp. dried rosemary
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 cup small pasta (rings, ditalini, alphabets, bowties)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery root, carrot, and garlic, and sauté until the vegetables are slightly tender, about 3 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, cabbage, beans rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.
2. Return the soup to a boil. Add the pasta and boil gently until the pasta is tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Serves 6-8