Minestrone with Sole

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 0.8 pound cabbage shredded
• 2  carrots cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 2 ribs celery cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 3.8 cups chicken broth low-sodium homemade canned
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 0.3 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper black
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1  onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons pesto homemade store-bought
• 0.8 pound potatoes boiling peeled cut into 1/4-inch dice ( 2)
• 1.5 teaspoons salt 
• 1.5 pounds sole fillets cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 1  zucchini cut into 1/4-inch dice

Equipment

• bowl
• ladle
• pot

Directions

1. In a large pot, melt the butter with the oil over moderate heat.
2. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
4. Add the zucchini and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes longer.
5. Add the broth, beans, tomato paste, and salt and bring to a simmer. Simmer, partially covered, until the vegetables are tender, about 18 minutes.
6. Add the sole, pesto, and pepper and bring back to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until the fish is just done, about 1 to 2 minutes more. To serve, ladle into bowls and pass more pesto if you like.
7. Fish Alternatives: You can use any other member of the flounder family, such as sand dab or fluke, in place of the sole. Or try a firmer, white fish, such as cod, halibut, or monkfish. For these thicker fish, add another minute to the cooking time.
8. Wine Recommendation: A light Italian white wine will be delightful with the vegetables and pesto. Look for the most recent vintage of a pinot grigio from the northern Alto Adige region.