Minestrone

Minestrone

A thick, rustic Italian vegetable soup built on cannellini beans, seasonal vegetables and small pasta, finished with good olive oil and grated parmesan. Use what the season offers; the soup should be hearty enough to coat a spoon.

Prep

20 min

Cook

50 min

Total

70 min

Serves

4-6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for finishing
• •1 whole yellow onion, finely diced
• •1 whole carrot, diced
• •1 whole celery stalk, diced
• •2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• •200 g (7 oz) cannellini beans, cooked, or 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) drained; reserve liquid
• •1 whole small potato, diced (about 120 g / 4 oz)
• •1 whole small zucchini, diced (about 150 g / 5 oz)
• •100 g (3½ oz) green beans, cut into 2 cm pieces
• •100 g (3½ oz) savoy cabbage, shredded
• •400 g (14 oz) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 can (400 g / 14 oz) peeled tomatoes
• •1.2 L (5 cups) vegetable stock or water, plus bean cooking liquid to taste
• •1 piece parmesan rind, optional, adds depth; or 30 g / 1 oz grated parmesan to finish
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, adjust to taste
• •4 leaves fresh basil, torn, plus extra to serve
• •120 g (4¼ oz) small pasta, tubetti, ditalini or small shells
• •40 g (1½ oz) parmesan cheese, finely grated, for serving
• •1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground

Steps

1. 1 Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook gently for 8-10 minutes, until softened but not browned.
2. 2 Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes with their juices, season lightly with salt, and simmer for 10 minutes to thicken.
3. 3 Pour in the stock or water, add the parmesan rind (if using) and bring to a gentle boil. Add the potato and green beans and simmer for 8 minutes.
4. 4 Add the zucchini, cabbage and drained cannellini beans. Simmer for another 6-8 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender but still holding their shape.
5. 5 Stir in the pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes, until al dente. If the soup looks too thick, loosen with a little of the reserved bean liquid; it should be thick enough to lightly coat a spoon.
6. 6 Remove the parmesan rind, taste and adjust salt, then tear in the basil and finish with a generous grind of black pepper.
7. 7 Ladle into warm bowls, drizzle with raw extra-virgin olive oil and top with the grated parmesan. Serve with crusty bread.