Vegetable-Bean Soup & Cheesy Rice

The temperature was something like 1 °F with a wind chill of -14, I had not gone out to the grocery store, and I was wondering what we would eat when I happened on the Rustic Cabbage Soup recipe on 101 Cookbooks. I had all of the ingredients for that soup on hand and headed into the kitchen. Then I noticed half a zucchini, a few farmers' market carrots that were starting to get old, and almost a half-pound of cottage bacon I'd gotten from Triple S hanging around in the fridge, too—and I strayed.

What I came up with was very similar to the vegetable soup in The Classic Italian Cook Book, except that Mrs. Hazan would never have used smoked (sweet) paprika in the soup. I jumped on the smoked paprika bandwagon only recently, and I really like it. I thought a touch of it here would bring out the smokiness of the bacon, but I used only a little, as I didn't want to overpower the flavors of the vegetables.

Vegetable-Bean Soup

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound thick-sliced cottage bacon, Canadian bacon, or regular bacon, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 medium potato, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, finely chopped
1 zucchini, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/2 small head cabbage, finely shredded
2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 14.5-ounce can great northern or cannellini beans
2 cups homemade meat or chicken stock or 1 14.5-ounce can stock
6 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat butter and oil in a large soup pot. When butter foams, add bacon or pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until the bacon starts to brown up a bit.

Add the onions and the smoked paprika and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions look golden, about 10 minutes.

Add the potatoes and cook another 5 minutes or so, until they take on some color. Add the carrots and cook another few minutes, and do the same with the zucchini and celery. It's really important to cook the vegetables and bacon in this first stage for quite a while, to get a rich-flavored base for the soup.Stir in the shredded cabbage and the tomatoes, and sprinkle in some salt. Pour in 1 to 2 cups of water or stock, cover, and braise for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the remaining stock and water and the canned beans, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook slowly for 2 to 3 hours.

Test for seasoning, adding some freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.
Rice with Fresh Basil and Mozzarella Cheese
From The Classic Italian Cook Book, by Marcella Hazan

1 tablespoon salt
1 1/2 cups raw rice, preferably Italian arborio rice
6 tablespoons butter, cut up
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil or 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded on the largest holes of the grater
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil, add the salt, then the rice, and mix with a wooden spoon. Cover the pot and cook at a moderate but steady boil until the rice is tender but al dente, firm to the bite. (Depending on the rice, it should take about 15 to 20 minutes.) While cooking, stir from time to time with a wooden spoon.

Drain and transfer the rice to a warm serving bowl. Mix in the cut-up butter; then add the basil (or parsley) and mix.

Add the shredded mozzarella and mix quickly and thoroughly. (The heat of the rice unravels the mozzarella, forming a soft, fluffy skein of cheese and rice flecked with basil green.)

Add the grated Parmesan cheese, stir two or three times, and serve immediately. Serves 4.This rice is gorgeous. Sweet, rich, and creamy, it was perfect with the soup. I like to put spoonfuls of it right into my soup bowl and eat them together like that. And it reheated nicely; I ate the combination of rice and soup several days for lunch; the flavor of the soup deepened and mellowed, and the rice was just as creamy and good as the first night we had it.