When is a soup not exactly a soup? When it’s this Minestrone: light, vibrant and packed with seasonal flavours.
Ingredients (serves 4-6)
For the pesto:
½ bunch basil leaves
½ bunch mint leaves
6 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 tbsp finely grated parmesan
For the minestrone:
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 stick of celery, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1.5 litres hot vegetable stock
500g small new potatoes, sliced
2 courgettes, diced
200g sugar snap peas, halved
250g frozen petit pois
½ bunch basil leaves
½ bunch mint leaves
To serve: extra-virgin olive oil; freshly-ground black pepper; finely grated parmesan.
Method
Whizz all the ingredients for the pesto together in a blender or food processor to create a paste. Season to taste and set to one side (or keep refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 2 days).
In a large saucepan, gently fry the onion, carrot and celery together in the olive oil for around 10 minutes, adding the garlic for the last 1-2 minutes. Add the new potatoes and hot stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer (uncovered) for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste, add the courgettes and continue to simmer for a further 6-8 minutes, adding the sugar snap peas and petit pois for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking time and the basil and mint for the final 30 seconds.
Ladle the minestrone into warm bowls and top with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, dollops of pesto, freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of finely grated parmesan.
