Minestrone Soup
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 35
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6
- Category: Dish Type
Description
This classic soup will surely do away with any winter sniffles … happiness in a bowl.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
100 g diced pancetta or 125 g diced streaky bacon
1 large onion, roughly chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
250 g carrots, peeled, chopped and sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 can (410 g) chopped tomatoes
4 C (1 litre) chicken stock
1 tsp (5 ml) brown sugar
1 can (410 g) borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ C (125 ml) small pasta (lumachetta, small shells, pasta rice, even broken up spaghetti!)
200 g shredded Swiss chard or baby spinach leaves
a handful of basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
To serve
grated Parmesan cheese
a handful of basil leaves to garnish
Instructions
In a large pot, fry the pancetta in some olive oil until crispy. Add more oil if needed and sauté the onion, celery, carrots and garlic until soft and fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, stock and sugar. Cover and bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes or so. Add the beans, pasta and spinach and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the chopped basil and season to taste.
Serve the soup piping hot with grated Parmesan and some basil leaves to garnish.
Tip: Add any vegetables you have in your refrigerator: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, over-ripe tomatoes, etc.
