Vegetable Soup Lidia Bastianich Recipes

Steps:

• Add onion chunks, garlic cloves, basil, parsley, and 1/4 cup olive oil in the food processor bowl; chop to a chunky-textured pesto.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into large soup pot, set over med-high heat; scrape in the pesto; cook, stirring often, as it sizzles and dries, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lift the rehydrated porcini from the soaking liquid (strain/reserve the liquid) and chop into fine bits.
• When the pesto just begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, drop the porcini, the chopped celery, carrots, tomato, and diced potatoes into the pot, and stir well.
• Cook over high heat, stirring until the potatoes become crusty and start to stick to the bottom.
• Pour in the cold water and the porcini soaking liquid; stir in the salt and heat the water to a vigorous bubble.
• Drop in the cheese rind, partially cover the pot, and adjust to maintain a steady bubbling.
• Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour--until the vegetables begin to break down; add the chicory, spinach, and peas.
• Return to a bubbling boil, and cook 30 minutes longer, until the broth is concentrated and flavorful and the total volume has reduced by about a quarter.
• Ladle the simmering soup into warm bowls; sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated cheese over each portion, and finish with a swirl of excellent olive oil; pass more grated cheese at the table.

Steps:

• in food processor put in celery, garlic, onion, parsley, and basil; till minced.
• in large stock pot, heat EVOO.
• Add vegetables from processor and cook til they are soft.
• Add tomato paste red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, saute 2 min until the paste is incorporated with the vegetables.
• Add the greens and cook for 2 minutes or so.
• Add water and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Place toasted bread in bowl.
• Place poached egg on bread.
• Spoon soup over both.
• Sprinkle with cheese
• Enjoy!