Garden Minestrone

I like making Minestrone soup, especially if I have a lot of leftovers, so this soup, made without water or broth is interesting. Although I won't be able to use leftovers for this one!

Carefully constructed vegetable soups like this were relatively rare in the early 1970s. Nika Hazelton, whose recipe this is, instructed you not to put the pot on the stove until you had layered it with tomatoes, onions, garlic, zucchini, lettuce, peas, parsley, basil, broad beans and olive oil. "Be sure to follow this order, and do not stir," she wrote. Then you cook it all gently, letting each vegetable release its liquid on its own. No water or broth is added - the vegetables cook in their own juices and a slick of olive oil.

2 large tomatoes, peeled (see Cooking Notes) and sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 medium head Romaine lettuce, shredded
2 pounds fresh peas, sheeled, or one 10-oz (283 g) package frozen peas
2 tablespoons minced basil
1 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 pounds fresh broad beans or lima beans, shelled, or one 10-oz (283 g) package frozen lima beans
1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Put the sliced tomatoes in the bottom of a deep 3-quart casserole that can go to the table. Top with the sliced onions and garlic. Top with the zucchini. Add the shredded lettuce. Place the peas on top of lettuce. Sprinkle the basil and half the parsley over the peas and top with the beans. Sprinkle the remaining parsley and the olive oil over all. Be sure to follow the order, and do not stir or mix the vegetables.
2. Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes or until the vegetables at the bottom of the casserole release their liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Now stir the vegetables and mix well. Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring frequently, just until the beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Do not add water; the vegetables have enough moisture of their own. Serve hot or lukewarm, with Parmesan cheese.
   

Serves 6.

Cooking Notes:

• To peel tomatoes, cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato. Submerge in boiling water for 5 to 10 seconds to loosen the skins. Remove and chill in cold water. The skins will slip off.
• If you have a small piece of Parmesan rind, you can add it to the soup at the beginning of cooking for extra flavor. Either way, before serving, you should stir a small amount of the grated cheese into the soup, and then sprinkle a little more on top.