Shellfish Minestrone With Basil Pesto

Name: Shellfish Minestrone With Basil Pesto
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 4 to 6 main course servings
Ingredients: 2 ounces fresh basil leaves, a large fistful; 1 ounce Italian parsley leaves and tender stems, a small handful; 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped; Salt and pepper; 1/2 cup olive oil; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 large onion, diced, about 2 cups; 1/2 cup diced celery; 1/2 cup diced carrot; Salt and pepper; Pinch red pepper flakes; Pinch saffron; 8 garlic cloves, minced; 1 bay leaf; Small bundle fresh thyme sprigs; 1 cup chopped tomato; 1 cup cooked cannellini beans or fresh shell beans; 24 littleneck clams, well rinsed; 7 cups hot fish stock or chicken broth; 1 pound squid, cut crosswise in 1/2-inch rings, plus tentacles; 1 cup small green peas; 1 cup blanched and peeled fava beans, optional

By David Tanis

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 4(38)
Notes: Read community notes

This is quite similar to minestrone al pesto or soupe au pistou. But this rustic soup goes aquatic, adding shellfish (or bivalves and cephalopods if you want to quibble), which seem to go perfectly with beans, peas and basil (no nuts or cheese in the pesto, by the way).

Featured in: Summer Soup From Sea and Garden

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 main course servings

For the Pesto

2ounces fresh basil leaves, a large fistful
1ounce Italian parsley leaves and tender stems, a small handful
2garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
½cup olive oil

For the Minestrone

2tablespoons olive oil
1large onion, diced, about 2 cups
½cup diced celery
½cup diced carrot
Salt and pepper
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pinch saffron
8garlic cloves, minced
1bay leaf
Small bundle fresh thyme sprigs
1cup chopped tomato
1cup cooked cannellini beans or fresh shell beans
24littleneck clams, well rinsed
7cups hot fish stock or chicken broth
1pound squid, cut crosswise in ½-inch rings, plus tentacles
1cup small green peas
1cup blanched and peeled fava beans, optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Make the basil pesto: Put basil, parsley and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a blender. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add ½ cup olive oil and purée on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary. Pour into a small serving bowl, cover tightly and set aside.
Step 2
Make the soup: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add red pepper, saffron, 8 cloves minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme and let sizzle, then add tomato and simmer a few minutes more.
Step 3
Stir in cannellini beans. Add clams, in one layer if possible, and 1 cup water. Turn heat to high and put on lid. Keep at a rapid simmer until all clams have opened, about 5 minutes. (If desired, remove clams, shuck them and return shucked clams to pot.) Add fish stock and bring to a simmer. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.
Step 4
Just before serving, add squid, peas and fava beans, if desired, and simmer for 2 minutes. Ladle into shallow soup bowls and stir 2 teaspoons basil purée into each.

Ratings

4 out of 5

38 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

grace6 years ago

Pistou and the sweetness of veg are essential for adding another dimension to flavor, which was surprisingly one-note otherwise (despite making fish stock, clam broth, using fresh flageolet, etc.). I was lazy about peeling all those favas for soup, but ate them raw with pecorino as a first course.

Liz2 years ago

This is simply divine! Don't like clams? Sub shrimp. I'd like a few more cannellini beans & I also used only 6 C of stock. No water. Used the food processor to do the chopping. Didn't take long at all to prepare.

grace6 years ago

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