Spring minestrone soup with pesto
- Portion size: Serves 4
- Hands on time: 1½ hours, plus overnight soaking
- Difficulty: easy
If you thought soup was strictly for winter then you need to try this hearty Italian classic, made from baby gem lettuce, peas, beans and leeks – it’s a true taste of spring.
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Ingredients
- 150g dried borlotti beans
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 banana shallots, sliced lengthways
- 100g baby leeks, trimmed and halved lengthways
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1.2 litres good quality fresh vegetable stock (or chicken stock for non-vegetarians)
- 100g small dried pasta such as ditalini or broken spaghetti
- 100g fresh petits pois (shelled weight) or frozen peas
- 2 baby gem hearts
- Crusty bread to serve
For the pesto (makes 100g)
- Large bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
- Small handful fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tsp pine nuts, toasted briefly in a dry frying pan (make sure they don’t burn)
- 40g parmesan or vegetarian alternative, grated
- 1 large garlic clove, halved
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
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Method
- Soak the borlotti beans overnight in a large bowl of water. The next day, drain the beans, then put them in a large pan of water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, then simmer for 45-60 minutes until tender. Drain and set aside.
- Gently heat the 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and fry the shallots, leeks, carrot and fennel seeds with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes or until softened. Stir through the garlic and fry for a minute. Add the cooked borlotti beans, then pour over stock to cover. Simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, then cook the pasta for 8-10 minutes, or according to the packet instructions, until al dente.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. In a food processor, whizz together the basil, parsley, toasted pine nuts, parmesan and garlic until smooth. Pulse in the extra-virgin olive oil until you have a stiff, concentrated pesto. Spoon into a small bowl.
- Stir the pasta through the soup. Taste and season generously. Add the petits pois/peas and gem hearts, then cook for a couple of minutes more. Divide the soup among bowls. Dollop on the pesto and serve with crusty bread.
Nutrition
- 420kcals Calories
- 17.6g (3.5g saturated) Fat
- 24.1g Protein
- 42.3g (6.4g sugars) Carbs
- 13.2g Fibre
- 0.5g Salt
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