Starters
Italian
ItalianMinestrone Soup
A hearty Italian vegetable soup at three levels. The basic leans on tinned veg and pasta; the ultimate builds a soffritto base with a parmesan rind and fresh pesto.
Nut-free
Ultimate version
Soffritto enriched with pancetta-free olio, parmesan rind, cavolo nero and fresh basil pesto.
Per serving£2.60
Total cost£10.40
Time1 hr 20 min
Ingredients for 4
- Soffritto
- 1 white onion , finely diced
- 2 celery sticks , finely diced
- 2 carrots , finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic , sliced
- 60 ml extra virgin olive oil
- Soup
- 300 g vine tomatoes , blanched, peeled and chopped
- 250 g fresh borlotti beans , podded
- 1 parmesan rind
- 100 g cavolo nero , shredded
- 1 l homemade vegetable stock
- sea salt and black pepper , to taste
- To serve
- 40 g fresh basil pesto , to finish
Method
- Gently sweat the onion, celery, carrot and garlic in the olive oil for 15 minutes until jammy and translucent.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook down for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Pour in the stock, add the borlotti beans and parmesan rind, then simmer gently for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the cavolo nero and cook for a further 5 minutes until tender.
- Remove the parmesan rind and season carefully.
- Ladle into warm bowls, swirl through a spoonful of fresh pesto and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Equipment
- heavy casserole
- ladle
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Tinned tomatoes, frozen veg and a handful of pasta.
Better
Fresh soffritto, passata and seasonal greens with proper pasta.
Ultimate
Soffritto enriched with pancetta-free olio, parmesan rind, cavolo nero and fresh basil pesto.
