May I introduce you to the most wonderful pot of Italian soup.

This minestrone graces our family table at least once a week without fail and below you will find my recipe, however, feel free to modify the vegetables and beans as necessary.

To date I have written five cookery books and yet I still struggle to follow a recipe in full, unless I am baking.

I am very much a visual cook. I can open my fridge and rustle up a lunch or dinner (however fussy diners would not be invited and sometimes my put togethers can be incredibly random), and this is why this soup is so loved.

Sometimes I change up the cannellini beans for tender lentils or chickpeas and the cavolo nero, which I adore for spinach, kale or a combination of them all.

Pasta is called for in this minestrone soup as the starch thickens the soup wonderfully, alongside the diced potatoes. Hungry yet?

Now as we all know, pasta that has been cooked in a soup would not keep overly well the day after, as the pasta when cold would continue to absorb any residual stock, leaving you with a dry and stockless soup. Don’t let this minor point faze you, simply add a little water into the minestrone if you chose to reheat it, this would loosen the soup a little. Personally I think its divine the day after, then again, I love leftovers of any style and form.

Ditalini pasta is a tiny, short tube which makes them the ideal candidate for minestrone, however you can substitute the ditalini for orzo or any tiny pasta you have to hand.

Once the soup has been made and just before you serve it up, I add a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the base of each bowl, then simply add a ladle of the soup. Finish off each bowl of soup with a further scattering of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I use Filippo Berio.

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Winter Minestrone Soup Recipe

Minestrone, Italian soup, graces our family table at least once a week without fail and below you will find my recipe, however, feel free to modify the vegetables and beans as necessary.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian Minestrone, Italian soup, Minestrone Soup, Minestrone Soup Recipe

Servings 4

Ingredients

4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
1 Large onion, peeled, cubed
2 sticks celery, cubed
1 Large carrot, peeled, cubed
200g 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
4 Litre Vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 large potato, peeled, cubed
1 tbsp Tomato puree
Parmigiano Reggiano rind (optional)
½ tsp Dried oreganoPinch chilli flakes (optional)
400g Tin cannellini beans including liquid
Salt and pepper to season as required
200g Cavolo nero, stem removed and discarded, leaf chopped
400g Ditalini pasta tubes
Small handful basil leaves torn
40g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

Instructions

Add the oil to a large saucepan and fry off the onion, celery and carrot until softened, 5 minutes.
Tumble in the cherry tomatoes and stir well. Add a pinch of salt.
Add the garlic and stir.
Pour in the stock and bring the pan to a steady simmer.
Add the cubed potato, tomato puree and optional Parmigiano Reggiano rind. Stir well.
Add the oregano and chilli flakes along with the cannellini beans as well as the liquid from the beans.
Season with salt and pepper, cook for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes add in the cleaned and chopped cavolo nero and cook for 10 minutes.
Tumble in the pasta and cook until aldenete.
Just before serving add in the basil and a scattering of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Notes

May I introduce you to the most wonderful pot of Italian soup. This minestrone graces our family table at least once a week without fail and below you will find my recipe, however, feel free to modify the vegetables and beans as necessary.

To date I have written five cookery books and yet I still struggle to follow a recipe in full, unless I am baking. I am very much a visual cook. I can open my fridge and rustle up a lunch or dinner (however fussy diners would not be invited and sometimes my put togethers can be incredibly random), and this is why this soup is so loved. Sometimes I change up the cannellini beans for tender lentils or chickpeas and the cavolo nero, which I adore for spinach, kale or a combination of them all. Pasta is called for in this minestrone soup as the starch thickens the soup wonderfully, alongside the diced potatoes. Hungry yet?

Now as we all know, pasta that has been cooked in a soup would not keep overly well the day after, as the pasta when cold would continue to absorb any residual stock, leaving you with a dry and stockless soup. Don’t let this minor point faze you, simply add a little water into the minestrone if you chose to reheat it, this would loosen the soup a little. Personally I think its divine the day after, then again, I love leftovers of any style and form.

Ditalini pasta is a tiny, short tube which makes them the ideal candidate for minestrone, however you can substitute the ditalini for orzo or any tiny pasta you have to hand.

Once the soup has been made and just before you serve it up, I add a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano to the base of each bowl, then simply add a ladle of the soup. Finish off each bowl of soup with a further scattering of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, I use Filippo Berio.