If you've ever wondered just how sweet cabbages and root vegetables can be, try the minestra. Without the peppery flavor of the lentils, it would be over the top. But along with a healthy swig of vinegar cooked off at the end, they provide just the right balance.
Ladle it into a warm bowl. Sliver some good Gruyère onto slices of bread and toast them until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Then settle in to watch a Lakers game on television. It's winter in Southern California.
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russ.parsons@latimes.com
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White bean and fennel soup
Total time: About 2 hours, 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 fennel bulbs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dry Great Northern or cannellini beans
1 bay leaf
Salt
1/4 cup white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons best quality olive oil, divided, for garnish
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrots, and cover and cook until they soften, about 20 minutes.
Ladle it into a warm bowl. Sliver some good Gruyère onto slices of bread and toast them until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Then settle in to watch a Lakers game on television. It's winter in Southern California.
russ.parsons@latimes.com
*
White bean and fennel soup
Total time: About 2 hours, 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 fennel bulbs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound dry Great Northern or cannellini beans
1 bay leaf
Salt
1/4 cup white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons best quality olive oil, divided, for garnish
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrots, and cover and cook until they soften, about 20 minutes.
