Minestrone Soup
An Italian classic which is wonderfully versatile and healthy, varying from household to household. You can follow this recipe verbatim but if you don't have everything to hand, feel free to experiment with different vegetables and herbs!
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 227kcal
Ingredients
- Extra virgin olive oil a good glug - enough to cover the base of the saucepan
- Butter a dessert spoonful
- 2 red onions finely chopped
- 3 carrots chopped into thin slices
- 2 sticks of celery diced into small cubes
- 1 large potato diced into small cubes
- 2 courgettes chopped into thin slices
- cherry tomatoes a handful, quartered
- 1 litre good quality vegetable stock
- 500 ml passata
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh herbs [see notes] a handful, chopped
- parmesan rind optional
- 400 g drained cannellini beans see notes
- 125g spinach
Instructions
- Heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 5-10 minutes or until translucent and golden brown. Add the carrots and cook again for about 2-3 minutes. Repeat this process with the celery, potatoes, courgettes, and tomatoes [or whatever hard vegetables you are using]
- Add the vegetable stock, the passata, bay leaves, chosen herbs, and parmesan rind [if using]. Bring to the boil before reducing the heat and cooking for 1-2 hours, or until the soup has thickened.
- During the last 15 minutes of cooking, add the drained beans and spinach, and stir. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste and garnish with some extra herbs and grated parmesan.
Notes
- I soaked the beans and cooked them in the slow cooker beforehand, but you can also use a standard can of cannellini beans. If you do have the time and patience, however, I really recommend going this extra mile as the texture is so much better.
- You can use any herb you like - basil and parsley work excellently.