Gluten-Free Northern Italian Autumn Minestrone

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried cranberry beans
• 1 medium carrot
• 1 small yellow onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 0.5 small red bell pepper
• 0.25 cups olive oil
• 15 ounces potatoes , peeled and diced
• 12 ounces diced carrots
• 12 ounces zucchini , diced
• 10 ounces fresh pumpkin , diced
• 4 ounces diced yellow onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 cups vegetable broth , divided
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 6 ounces gluten-free elbow pasta
• 1 fresh hot pepper , minced
• 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese , Optional

Instructions

1. 1

   Place cranberry beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let soak, 8 hours to overnight. Drain.

2. 2

   Shred carrot, yellow onion, celery, and red pepper in a food processor to create a sofrito mixture.

3. 3

   Heat oil in a 7-quart pressure cooker over medium-high heat. Add sofrito mixture and saute until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add soaked beans, potatoes, diced carrots, zucchini, pumpkin, and diced onion. Cook and stir until warmed through, 3 to 5 minutes more. Add oregano, rosemary, and bay leaf. Stir well to coat vegetables with oil and seasonings.

4. 4

   Add enough broth to cover vegetables by 1 inch. Close the pressure cooker lid and bring up to pressure, about 10 minutes. Cook an additional 10 minutes from the first whistle.

5. 5

   Allow pressure to release naturally and remove lid, about 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt if necessary. Add additional broth to allow for cooking the pasta. Bring to a boil and add pasta. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Add more boiling broth if needed during cooking.

6. 6

   Ladle soup into bowls and top with minced hot pepper and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.