Shellfish Minestrone With Basil Pesto

By David Tanis

Published June 4, 2013

  • Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
1 hour 15 minutes
Rating
4(42)
Comments
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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

  • 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

  • ½ cup olive oil

FOR THE MINESTRONE

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 large onion, diced, about 2 cups

  • ½ cup diced celery

  • ½ 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 ½-inch rings, plus tentacles

  • 1 cup small green peas

  • 1 cup blanched and peeled fava beans, optional

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

29 grams carbs; 196 milligrams cholesterol; 483 calories; 17 grams monosaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 27 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 1381 milligrams sodium; 34 grams protein; 6 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
42 user ratings
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Comments

grace

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.

Liz

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.

grace

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.

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