Red Winter Minestrone with Winter Greens Pesto Recipe

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Strip beet greens turnip greens and kale from their coarse stems and wash leaves well. Working in batches cook each bunch in boiling water until bright green and slightly limp about 1 minute. Transfer immediately to ice water and repeat with remaining greens. Discard cooking water.

Remove greens from ice water and squeeze out as much water as possible.

Combine greens 2/3 cup olive oil 2 cloves garlic Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Transfer pesto to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion grated tomato 4 cloves minced garlic rosemary 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt bay leaf and chili flakes. Cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes; reduce heat to low. Continue cooking and stirring until vegetables are a deep golden brown 20 to 30 minutes.

Pour remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over onion mixture. Stir in leek carrot turnips and beets. Increase heat to medium-high and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes.

Pour white wine over vegetable mixture and scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Mix cannellini beans and green beans into vegetable mixture; pour in 5 cups water. Bring liquid to a boil reduce heat and simmer until green beans are tender about 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and lemon juice.

Divide soup among heated bowls and serve with a generous dollop of the winter greens pesto.