Minestrone Soup
If you want to pack as many nutrients into a meal as you possibly can, soup is the way to go! And minestrone is one of the most nutritious, with a healthy balance of fresh vegetables, pulses, herbs, starchy carbohydrates and dairy. If you're a fan of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, this is the soup for you!
This recipe serves 4 people.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 sticks of celery
- 1 tin of borlotti beans
- 1 tin of cannellini beans
- 50g of wholemeal pasta
- 2 large potatoes, cut into cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 handfuls of kale
- 1 pinch of thyme
- 1 litre of organic vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to season
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Parmesan cheese
Method
- Wrap the wholemeal pasta in a tea towel and smash with a rolling pin
- Put the chopped onion in a large saucepan with a little bit of the vegetable stock and cook on a medium heat until they soften.
- Add the carrots, celery and thyme and cook for a few minutes more
- Drain both cans of beans, then add half of each to a blender with a little stock and mix into a smooth paste.
- Add all the beans, blended and unblended to the saucepan and stir well
- Add the remaining stock, smashed pasta, potatoes, kale and bay leaves.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper and olive oil to taste.
- Serve into bowls, then grate the parmesan over the top, if desired.
This dish, perfect for a wholesome dinner, marries the succulent tenderness of chicken breasts with a vibrant chermoula marinade.