This cosy, comforting, veggie-packed minestrone is easy to make, full of flavour and such an easy way to get your five-a-day! The homemade walnut and parsley pesto is the perfect way to finish it, but if you’re short on time simply use shop-bought basil pesto.
Serves: 4
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the minestrone:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots (about 250g), scrubbed, quartered lengthways and chopped into 2cm pieces
1 x 400g tin / 1 x 14 oz can baby plum tomatoes
2 x 400g tins / 2 x 14 oz cans cannellini beans, drained
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1L / 1¾ pints vegetable stock
2 servings of short pasta (about 150g), I love mafalda or orecchiette
150g cavolo nero, sliced
Pinch of sea salt & black pepper
For the walnut and parsley pesto:
30g parsley, stalks discarded
75g walnuts
¼ clove garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
Pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Method
Warm the olive oil in a large, deep saucepan, set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until soft and fragrant.
Add the onion, carrot and a pinch of salt; cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and again, until softened but not coloured. Reduce the heat to low.
Add the tomatoes, cannellini beans, miso paste and vegetable stock. Bring to a simmer and cook – uncovered – for 20 minutes, until slightly thickened and the carrots are tender.
Stir in pasta, then top with the cavolo nero (don’t worry about stirring it in as it will steam on the top); cover with the lid and cook for another 10 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
Whilst the pasta is cooking, prepare the pesto. Add the walnuts, parsley, garlic and a pinch of salt to a pestle and mortar (or to a food processor) and roughly crush together. Then, stir through the olive oil and chilli flakes (if using) by hand.
Divide the soup between bowls and spoon over the pesto. Serve with lots of black pepper and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
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