Spring Minestrone Soup
Brimming with pasta, beans, seasonal greens and a zap of homemade pesto, you’ll feel like a whole new you!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 30g/2 cups fresh basil
- 30g/¼ cup pine nuts
- 30g/1 oz Parmesan cheese (cubed)
- 80ml/⅓ cup olive oil (extra virgin)
- ½ lemon (juice only)
- ½ clove garlic
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 1 leek (sliced)
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp dried basil
- 1½ litre/6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
- Salt to taste
- 100g/3½ oz asparagus
- 160g/1 cup green peas
- 200g/7oz Tenderstem broccili
- 400g/14 oz canned cannellini beans (drained)
- 200g/5 baby zucchini (sliced)
- 70g/1 cup small pasta
- 50g/1½ cup spinach
- 1-2 tbsp Parmesan cheese (grated)
Instructions
- 1
Firstly, make the pesto. In a food processor or a blender combine the fresh basil, pine nuts, cubed Parmesan cheese, pressed garlic clove and the juice of one lemon. Process until smooth. With the motor of the food processor still running pour in the olive oil through a chute and process for 10-20 seconds longer. Turn the food processor off and taste the pesto, add a pinch of salt if necessary. Set aside till needed.
- 2
In a large soup pot heat the olive oil and add the sliced leeks, saute over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, then add the diced garlic, dried basil and oregano and cook for 30 seconds longer.
- 3
Add the stock, cannelloni beans and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil, then add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 5 -7 minutes longer until the vegetables are done.. Add salt to taste. You can either stir in the pesto in the pot pot soup or into individual bowls.