Stock will make a much more flavorful soup, but if you do not have any handy, use canned broth or even water—the soup will still be quite good. When using canned stock for this soup, I always dilute it by half with water. In most cases, the flavor of canned broth is too pronounced when taken straight and masks the fresh vegetal flavor of the other ingredients.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 8 servings

　　10 cups hot Chicken Stock (page 74) or canned reduced-sodium chicken broth

　　1/2 ounce (about 2/3 cup) dried porcini mushrooms

　　3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

　　2 large Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

　　2 small leeks, white parts only, trimmed, cleaned, and chopped (about 2 cups)

　　2 medium carrots, trimmed, peeled, and coarsely shredded (about 1 cup)

　　Salt

　　2 fresh or dried bay leaves

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　1 pound small (“fancy”) zucchini, washed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

　　1 cup Arborio or other short-grain Italian rice

　　1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

　　1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

　　

Step 1

Pour 1 cup of the hot stock over the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl. Let stand until the porcini are softened, about 20 minutes. Drain the porcini, straining the soaking liquid through a coffee filter or a sieve lined with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Pour the strained soaking liquid into the remaining stock. Rinse the soaked mushrooms thoroughly to remove any sand and grit. Drain the mushrooms well and chop them fine.

　　

Step 2

Heat the olive oil in a deep, heavy 4- to 5-quart pot over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to stick and are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. If necessary, adjust the level of heat to prevent the bits of potato that stick from getting too dark. Stir in the leeks and carrots, season the vegetables lightly with salt, and cook, stirring, until the leeks are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the hot stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, scraping up the bits of potato that stick to the pot. Adjust the level of heat to a simmer and season the soup lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in the zucchini, cover the pot, and continue cooking until the potatoes and zucchini are very tender, about 15 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Stir in the rice. Cook, stirring well, until the rice is al dente—tender but still firm, about 14 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir the parsley into the soup and check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle each serving with some of the grated cheese.

　　From Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich Copyright © 2001 by A La Carte Communications and Tutti a Tavola, LLC. Published by arrangement with Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of The Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.Buy the full book from Amazon.