Instructions: MAKES 4-quarts; 8 as main course.

BEANS AND WHEAT BERRIES: Rinse the soaked beans and wheat berries and put them in a pressure cooker. Add the water, leafy piece of celery, chunk of carrot, bay leaf or two, light olive oil or canola oil and garlic cloves, halved, green centers removed. Stir well. The pressure cooker should be about half full, no more than two-thirds full. Cover and lock; heat to full pressure. Let cook under pressure about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the cooker stand on the same burner for about 1 hour or until it cools of its own accord. Discard the celery; mash the cooked chunk of carrot. Remove the bay leaf and boiled garlic (if you prefer). Pour the beans and wheat berries into a large strainer over a 4-cup or large measuring bowl.

Blanch the green beans in plenty of boiling water for about 60 to 90 seconds. Transfer to a bowl of ice water. Drain. Set aside.

SOUP: While the cooker cools, start the soup. In a large pot or Dutch oven

(5-6 qt), heat (extra) virgin olive oil to medium and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, diced carrot, diced parsnip, half of the chopped cabbage, sage (chopped or chiffonade) and rosemary. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 4 minute more. Add pinches of salt and cayenne pepper. Stir well.

Finally add the tomatoes with juice, water reserved from pressure cooker, vegetarian bouillon (cubes or paste) and the rest of the cabbage. Add water to cover the vegetables by about 1/2-inch or more. Bring to a simmer

(do no boil); cover; reduce heat; and simmer gently at least 15 minutes.

Add the green beans, white beans and wheat berries. Heat through. Add parsley, cilantro and kale pesto. Turn off heat and let stand about 5 minutes.

Adjust seasonings with salt, pepper, rubbed sage, garlic powder. Serve with a warmed crusty french roll. Offer the Parmesan at table.

(The soup will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

Pierces
Phytopia Pesto.

Minestrone was (see October eating well magazine). So, I made sure I could use the cooking broth from the beans and the wheat berries by soaking overnight. Then I used my T-Fal pressure cooker. Lots of pressure there so all I need to do with pre-soaked beans is bring it up to temp. let it rock (twirl) a few minutes, turn off the heat, and then let it cool of its own accord. The result: beans come out firm - not mushy. Great for soups and salads and pasta sauces.

BTW - the photo of the soup in the mag is STYLED - arranged like a hair-do. Their soup has what looks like limas, they didnt cut the beans, they puddled the wheat berries so you could see them.

Cabbage is much larger chops. etc. Pretty but (imho)

Mis-represents what you will get.

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