Description
Jamie Oliver’s minestrone soup brings hearty Italian flavors to your kitchen. Packed with vegetables, beans, and pasta, this comforting recipe will warm your soul and nourish your body.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cans (400g each) beans (cannellini, butter, or mixed)
- 1 can (400g) plum tomatoes
- 100g (3.5 oz) dried pasta
- 2 small onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 2 large handfuls seasonal greens (savoy cabbage, curly kale, chard)
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- olive oil
- extra virgin olive oil (for serving)
- parmesan cheese or vegetarian alternative (for serving)
- crusty bread (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepping Aromatics: Peel and mince garlic and onion. Dice carrots, celery, and green stalks into uniform cubes, creating a vibrant vegetable foundation.
- Sautéing Base: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic, bay leaves, and onions, cooking until they develop a golden, translucent appearance with caramelized edges.
- Vegetable Infusion: Introduce chopped carrots, celery, and green stalks. Sauté for 10-15 minutes, allowing vegetables to soften and release their rich, complex flavors.
- Liquid Components: Crumble vegetable stock cube into the pot. Add canned tomatoes, crushing them with a wooden spoon. Pour in water, beans with their liquid, and season with salt and black pepper.
- Final Cooking: Incorporate chopped greens and boiling water. Add pasta, ensuring it’s fully submerged. Simmer covered for 10-15 minutes until pasta is al dente and soup reaches a hearty consistency.
- Serving Presentation: Adjust seasoning to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with grated Parmesan, drizzle of olive oil, and serve alongside crusty bread for a complete, comforting meal.
Notes
- Prep Precisely: Uniform vegetable cuts ensure even cooking and consistent texture throughout the soup.
- Oil Selection Matters: Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for enhanced flavor and authentic Italian taste.
- Vegetable Layering Technique: Sauté ingredients in stages to develop deep, complex flavor profiles without burning.
- Liquid Balance Crucial: Adjust water quantity carefully to achieve desired soup consistency and prevent over-dilution.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: uk
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 900mg
- Fat: 10g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 12g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 5mg