Zucchini And Potato Minestra (Italian soup)

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 10 cups hot chicken stock (or canned chicken broth)
• 1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
• 2 small leeks, parts only, trimmed, cleaned, and chopped (about 2 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and shredded (about 1 cup)
• salt to taste
• 2 fresh bay leaves or 2 dried bay leaves
• fresh ground black pepper
• 3 cups  zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 cup arborio rice (or other short-grain italian rice)
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh italian parsley
• 1/4 cup finely grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

Recipe

• 1 pour 1 cup hot stock over the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl; let stand until mushrooms are softened, about 20 minutes.
• 2 drain the porcini, straining the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth.
• 3 pour the strained soaking liquid into the remaining stock.
• 4 rinse the soaked mushrooms thoroughly to remove any sand/grit.
• 5 drain the mushrooms well and chop them fine.
• 6 heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy 4-5 quart pot over medium heat.
• 7 add in the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to stick and are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
• 8 if necessary, adjust the heat level to prevent the bits of potato that stick from getting too dark.
• 9 stir in the leeks and carrots; season lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until the leeks are softened, about 2-3 minutes.
• 10 pour in the hot stock and bay leaves; bring to a boil, scraping up the bits of potato that stick to the pot.
• 11 adjust the level of heat to a simmer and season the soup lightly with salt and pepper.
• 12 cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes.
• 13 stir in the zucchini, cover the pot, and continue cooking until the potatoes and zucchini are very tender, about 15 minutes.
• 14 stir in the rice; cook, stirring well, until the rice is al dente-tender, but still firm, about 14 minutes.
• 15 remove the bay leaves; stir the parsley into the soup; check seasonings and add salt/pepper if needed.
• 16 ladle the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle each with some of the grated cheese.