Mine-stone-e
February 2013

I like puns.
That is why February is Minestonee Soup Month.
I also like kale and noodles and beans and vegetables.  And bacon - yep I said bacon - this is not a vegetarian minestrone (I'll make one someday).  This is the perfect soup to make on a Sunday when no one else is around and then eat all week long (with or without other people - depends on how nice you're feeling).

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• one magic soup stone
• 2 strips of bacon finely chopped
  
• 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 sweet onion (finely chopped)
• 1 shallot (finely chopped)
  
• 4 carrots (peeled and chopped)
  
• 2 stalks celery (chopped)
• 2 zucchini (chopped)
• 1 leek (washed and chopped)
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
• 2 large potatoes (scrubbed and chopped)
  

• 1 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
  
• 1 can kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
  
• 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or 4 cups broth and 2 cups water)
  
• 1 bunch curly kale (stems removed and loosely chopped)
• 1/2 cup orecchiette pasta (or other small pasta)
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Parmesan (optional)
  

Get your favorite soup pot and add the olive oil, the stone and the bacon and cook until the bacon is  to your liking.  Add garlic, onion. shallot, carrots, celery, zucchini, leek, oregano and bay leaves and cook on low until the vegetables have softened (about 15 minutes).  Add tomatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, kidney beans and broth and slowly bring to a boil, simmer until the potatoes are tender.  Add kale and pasta and cook until pasta is edible.  At this point check the consistency of the soup - if too much moisture has boiled away feel free to add more broth or water (or even tomato juice) until the soup is your preferred fluidity.

Add basil and Parmesan to taste.  And voila!  Mine-stone-e (carefully of the stone when eating and serving).

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Stone Soup Recipe Archive

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Have a great recipe for Stone Soup you want to submit?  E-mail recipes@stonesoupshakespeare.com with your recipe and something about you.  If we choose your recipe to post, we'll send you an e-mail link to the site.  Even if you don't have your own recipe we hope you invite your neighbors over tonight and try your very own batch of Stone Soup.