Minestrone with macaroni cheese
- Published: 29 Feb 08
- Updated: 26 Nov 24
There are plenty of vegetables in this minestrone soup recipe which means you’re allowed a slightly decadent side dish of macaroni cheese.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 celery sticks, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
- 1 leek, washed and thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 large carrot, finely chopped
- 2 desirée potatoes, chopped
- 2 tsp tomato purée
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock, hot
- 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 small courgettes, finely
- chopped
- 100g frozen peas
- 100g baby spinach leaves
- Chopped fresh flatleaf parsley,
- to garnish
For the macaroni cheese
- 150g dried macaroni or other small pasta shapes
- 100ml single cream
- 2 tbsp each grated Cheddar
- and vegetarian parmesan
- Butter, for greasing
- 1 tbsp dry breadcrumbs
Method
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat. Cook the celery, leek, garlic and carrot, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, tomato purée, bay leaves, thyme and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer over a medium-low heat, partially covered, for 10 minutes.
- Add the beans, courgettes and peas, simmer for 6-8 minutes, then stir in the spinach and season.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain, return to the pan and stir in the cream, Cheddar, most of the Parmesan and season to taste.
- Heat the grill to medium-high. Tip the pasta into 4 warm, lightly buttered 200ml ramekins, then scatter with breadcrumbs and the remaining cheese. Grill for 1-2 minutes.
- Divide the soup between warmed bowls, season and scatter with parsley and serve with the macaroni cheese.
- Recipe from March 2008 Issue
Nutrition
- Calories
- 602kcals
- Fat
- 20.8g (8g saturated)
- Protein
- 37.7g
- Carbohydrates
- 74.1g (8.5g sugar)
- Salt
- 2.5g
delicious. tips
Freeze at the end of step 2, but don’t add the baby spinach leaves until reheating.
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