Hearty Minestrone Soup

I was chatting with Jamie, my BFF from college, and she was asking about my blog (this blog) that I mentioned in my visit to Minneapolis a couple of weeks ago. Of course, this reminded me that I have been so busy traveling and having visitors lately that I have hardly cooked anything, let alone blogged, in nearly two weeks! Luckily for me, Shea cooked an amazing and healthy soup this week that I can share with all of you. Thanks, Shea, and happy early birthday!

We made a couple of changes to the recipe below; we used canned beans instead of dried (to save time), and substituted parsley with basil (because I love basil, and am luke warm on parsley). Both adjustments worked out perfectly for a delicious soup!

Heart Minestrone Soup
Courtesy of Food and Wine
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/hearty-minestrone-soup

1. 1 1/4 cups dried white beans (8 ounces), soaked overnight and drained
2. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. 2 ounces pancetta, finely diced
4. 2 medium shallots, minced
5. 2 large celery ribs, finely diced
6. 1 medium onion, finely diced
7. 1 large carrot, finely diced
8. 1/2 fennel bulb, cored and diced
9. 4 garlic cloves, minced
10. 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
11. 2 bay leaves
12. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
13. One 14-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
14. 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
15. Salt and freshly ground pepper
16. 1 cup baby arugula
17. 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
18. 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. In a pot, cover the beans with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until tender, about 2 hours; add water to keep the beans covered. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in another pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the pancetta and cook over moderate heat until crisp, 4 minutes. Add the shallots, celery, onion, carrot and fennel, and cook until softened. Add the garlic, crushed pepper and bay leaves and cook, stirring, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and broth; bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Add the beans and enough cooking liquid to thin out the soup. Discard the bay leaves; season with salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, toss the arugula and parsley with the lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup in bowls; top with the salad.