Minestrone magic
Two things had me craving soup last week. Firstly, I spent a week in France and while the cuisine is damn tasty as far as mountain fare goes, it’s anything but healthy. Think a week of pastries, bread, cheese and… no, that was about it. And secondly, my return from France sparked a killer flu that left my boyfriend and I crippled for a week. Before the sickness took full hold, I managed to whip up a minestrone soup to keep in the fridge for a few days. Packed with veges, beans and a bit of pasta, it’s a complete meal that ticks all the boxes. I adapted my recipe from HFG’s one.
Minestrone soup with parmesan croutons
Serves four
- 2 x onions, finely chopped
- 2 x small carrots, finely chopped
- 2 x celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 x cloves garlic, crushed
(for some extra garlic to help aid the sickness, I doubled this) - 1 cup x small pasta shapes, such as macaroni
- 2.5 cups x vegetable stock
- 2.5 cups x water
- 1 tsp x smoked paprika
(optional, but gives a nice smoky flavour you might normally get from adding bacon) - 2 x dried bay leaves
- 2 cans (400g) x diced tomatoes
- 1 can (400g) x kidney beans, rinsed and drained
(you could also use chickpeas or cannellini beans) - 1/2 cup x green beans, topped and cut into 3cm lengths
- 1/4 cup x flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup x fresh basil, torn (optional)
- freshly ground black pepper
For the croutons
- 8 x baguette slices
- 8 x parmessan cheese slices
Heat a spray of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic.
Add pasta, stock, paprika and bay leaves and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange the parmesan on the bread slices and grill in the oven until the bread is crispy and the cheese has melted (about 4 minutes).
Stir in tomatoes, kidney beans and green beans. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, or until pasta is tender and soup is hot. Remove from heat. Taste and season with pepper. Ladle into serving bowls. Top with croutons, parsley and basil (if using) and serve.
