Lunch: Minestrone with Sole

Thick and chunky with vegetables and pieces of sole, this pesto-flavored soup is hearty enough to make a meal. Serve it hot to take the chill off a winter night, or at room temperature for a cool summertime supper.

Ingredients

1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
2 ribs celery
3/4 lb. boiling potatoes (about 2)
1 zucchini
1/4 head cabbage (about 3/4 pound)
3 3/4 c. canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
1 1/2 c. drained and rinsed canned pinto beans (one 15-ounce can)
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lb. sole fillets
2 tbsp. pesto
1/4 tsp. fresh-ground black pepper

Instructions

In a large pot, melt the butter with the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, celery and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer.
Add the broth, beans, tomato paste and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 18 minutes. Add the sole, pesto and pepper and bring back to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the fish is just done, about 1 to 2 minutes more. To serve, ladle into bowls and pass more pesto if you like.
Fish Alternatives: You can use any other member of the flounder family, such as sand dab or fluke, in place of the sole. Or try a firmer, white fish, such as cod, halibut or monkfish. For these thicker fish, add another minute to the cooking time.
Wine Recommendation: A light Italian white wine will be delightful with the vegetables and pesto. Look for the most recent vintage of a pinot grigio from the northern Alto Adige region.

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