Minestrone with borlotti beans

Borlotto (or also called Borlotti) are among the grain or dry cooking beans. The beans can be bought dried or pre-cooked (tins, jars). They can also be grown in the garden, on the balcony or in tubs. Seeds of this old Italian variety group are available in seed shops as bush beans as well as pole beans. The marbled, floury seeds are slightly smaller than the fire bean and have a fine aroma reminiscent of chestnuts. Borlotti are ideal as a base for minestrone and stews. They can also be cooked very well and used as a base for cream soups or bean puree.

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 100 g Borlotti beans, dried 
• 80 g olive oil 
• 100 g onions
• 120 g leek 
• 120 g celeriac 
• 120 g carrots 
• 120 g savoy cabbage 
• 120 g waxy potatoes
• 250 g tomatoes peeled, seeded or pelati 
• 3 garlic cloves 
• Clove, bay leaf
• Oregano 
• Salt, pepper
• 10 fennel seeds 
• 1 pinch sugar 
• 40 g spaghetti, broken 
• 40 g / 2 cubes vegetable stock
• 2 l water

For the Pistu (cold sauce made from lemons, parsley, chopped garlic)

• lemon, organic washed, peel only
• 15 g parsley
• garlic gloves
• 100 g hard cheese like Sbrinz, grated

Instructions

1. Soak borlotti beans for 24 hours or buy cooked beans (jar / can). Weigh out all ingredients and prepare. Wash / peel all vegetables.
2. Pre-cook the borlotti beans in water without salt.
3. Finely chop onions and garlic, finely chop vegetables and potatoes. Cut fresh tomatoes and blanch briefly in hot water, skin, halve and deseed. Wrap the spaghetti in a towel and break over the edge of the table.
4. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, add the chopped vegetables and sauté, add the tomato paste and deglaze with water. Add spices, bouillon cubes and pre-cooked beans and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.
5. Finely chop the parsley leaves, garlic and lemon rind. Prepare the cheese.
6. Before serving, add the pistu to the soup.