Minestrone soup
Vegetables, beans and pasta with fresh basil pesto
A hearty Italian vegetable soup with cannellini beans, cabbage and a little spaghetti, finished with a bright basil and tomato pesto stirred in at the end. Don't let it boil hard once the vegetables are in: over-boiled soups lose their colour and body. Serve hot with crisp garlic toast.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the soup
For the basil pesto
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Rinse ⅞ oz basil leaves and drain it well.
Step 2: Put the basil, 6 ½ oz tomatoes, ½ tsp garlic paste and ½ tsp salt in a blender and purée until smooth. Set the pesto aside.
Step 3: Bring 1.5 litres vegetable stock to the boil in a large pan.
Step 4: Add 1 onion, 4 ½ oz carrots and 3 ½ oz celery and cook for 10 minutes on a lower heat.
10 minStep 5: Add 10 ½ oz potatoes, 5 oz cabbage and 3 ⅞ oz fresh green beans and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
10 minStep 6: Stir in 1 ¼ lb cooked cannellini or white kidney beans, ⅔ oz spaghetti and the pesto and heat thoroughly, without boiling hard.
3 minStep 7: Season with 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp ground black pepper and serve hot with crisp garlic toast.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 200 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 37 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 10 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does minestrone soup take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of vegetable stock?
- Chicken stock, same amount (not vegetarian).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Boiled pasta
The basic method for any dried pasta, from penne to spaghetti. A large pan of salted boiling water keeps the pasta from sticking, and you cook it only until just done, with a little bite left. Use it in salads, bakes or with any sauce.
Homemade margherita pizza
A simple dough, a no-cook tomato sauce and the hottest oven you can manage. A heavy baking tray preheated in the oven does a good job of standing in for a pizza stone.
Roasted tomato and basil soup
Roasting the tomatoes with onion and garlic concentrates their sweetness and gives the soup a gentle smokiness you can't get from a tin. Lovely with a grilled cheese sandwich.
