European Peasant-Style Vegetable Soup Model

Meats (choose one):

4 confit Pekin duck thighs (or 2 confit mullard duck thighs, meat pulled off the bone and coarsely chopped)

1/2 pound prosciutto end (cut into 1/2-inch dice)

1/2 pound pancetta (cut into 1-inch strips)

Fats (choose one):

3 tablespoons olive oil (rendered duck fat, or the fat rendered from the pancetta)

Slow-Cooking Vegetables (choose one or more):

2 onions (chopped)

1 large carrot (peeled, quartered lengthwise, and sliced crosswise)

1 turnip (peeled and diced)

2 cups dried beans (soaked for 4 hours in cold water and drained)

Liquids, Tomatoes, and Slow—Cooking Herbs (choose one or more):

Broth or water

Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

Bouquet garni

Starches (choose one):

1 cup long-grain rice (such as basmati or jasmine)

1-2 cups dried pasta (such as macaroni, orecchiette, or ziti)

Fast-Cooking Vegetables (choice of):

Green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch sections

Peas, shelled, or if frozen, thawed

Fresh shell beans such as fava or lima

Kale (stems removed and leaves shredded)

Swiss chard (stems cut into cubes and leaves shredded)

Spinach, chopped or cut into chiffonade

Sorrel, chopped

Flavorful Finishes (choose one or more):

Garlic, minced and then crushed with the flat side of the knife

Finely chopped fresh herbs such as mint, tarragon, or parsley

Pesto or pistou

Herb butter