Recipe: Mixed-Bean Minestrone Stew

MIXED-BEAN MINESTRONE STEW

"This Italian vegetable soup with pasta and beans is a great way to warm and fill you up during the cold winter months. You can always exchange other vegetables for the ones listed or leave a few out and give your minestrone your own accent. After all, the greatest soups are simply medleys of whatever's on hand in your kitchen!"

2 cups mixed dry beans (navy, garbanzo, kidney are all good)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 bay leaf
1 cup chopped onion
3 carrots, peeled and sliced (about 1 cup)
1 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/8 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup peeled and cubed eggplant (or cabbage, squash, broccoli)
4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (or 32 ounces canned)
1 large Idaho or baking potato, cubed (about 1 cup)
6 cups purified water (or vegetable stock for added flavor - and see Tips)
1 cup chopped fresh green beans or frozen peas
1 1/2 cups alphabet pasta or prepared barley (see Tips)
GARNISH:
Fresh cracked pepper (optional)
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pesto

TO PREPARE THE BEANS:
Soak the beans in a large pot with 6 cups of water and the baking soda overnight. Add the bay leaf to the pot, place over medium-high heat, and boil the beans for 45 minutes until tender (they should pierce easily with a fork).

MEANWHILE, YOU CAN PREPARE THE VEGETABLES:
In a separate large pot, sweat the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic in the olive oil on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to bring out the natural vegetable juices as a base for the soup. Stir in the Italian seasoning, chili flakes, rosemary, and salt, along with the eggplant, tomatoes, potatoes, and any other vegetables you'd like to use, then pour in the water or stock and continue to cook for 20 minutes.

TO FINISH THE SOUP:
Add the cooked beans, green beans or peas, and pasta or cooked barley to the soup and cook on medium heat for another 15 minutes.

Serve in a large soup bowl and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper (optional) and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Or you could add a small dollop of pesto, if you have some on hand.

TIPS FROM ROSIE'S KITCHEN:
This recipe uses a cooking technique known as sweating, which means cooking something over low heat in a little oil in a covered pot or the oven in order to bring out the juices without browning.

For additional flavor you can use vegetable stock, if you have it on hand, instead of water. If you really want to add some flair, add 1/4 cup pesto to the soup right before you're ready to serve.

Cooled leftover soup should be stored in small airtight containers or zip-lock bags in the freezer to make it easy to take to work. It will keep for up to 3 weeks.

Makes 24 cups, Serves 6

Stew with Garnish, Per serving: Calories 571, Fat 21.1 g, Saturated fat 5.3 g (33.2% of calories from fat), Protein 24.6 g, Carbohydrate 75.4 g, Cholesterol 11.8 mg, Fiber 17.5 g

Excerpted from Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley
Copyright 2002 by Andrew Weil, M.D., and Rosie Daley. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.