Entrees Italian

Minestrone

Name: Minestrone recipe
Yield: 6
Cuisine: /italian
Ingredients: 30.00 ml extra virgin olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 celery stick, finely chopped; 1 small leek, finely chopped; 1 carrot, finely chopped; 1 large zucchini, finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs; 40.00 ml tomato paste; 1.5l vegetable stock; 2 bay leaves; 400g can chopped tomatoes; 400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed; 100g macaroni; 150g green beans, chopped; 100g kale or cavolo nero, chopped; Handful of torn basil leaves; 25g cheese; Crusty bread (optional), to serve

Rate now

Author Samuel Goldsmith, Murdoch Books, — Author Samuel Goldsmith, Murdoch Book

Jump to recipe

by Samuel Goldsmith

CHEF

Mar 17, 2024

“I think of minestrone as a cross between a soup and a stew. Maybe because it’s not blitzed, but mostly because it feels so hearty and comforting – like a big hug from your favourite auntie. The tinned tomatoes bring all the vegetables to life in this Roman classic. While I like including small pasta shapes, such as macaroni, you can use other types of pasta. You can even break up any odds and ends of spaghetti to make it more like the classic tinned version. ” – Samuel Goldsmith. From The Tinned Tomatoes Cookbook by Samuel Goldsmith, published by Murdoch Books, $39.99, out now.

1 1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 celery stick, finely chopped
1 small leek, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 large zucchini, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 tbs tomato paste
6 cups (1.5L) vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
100g macaroni
150g green beans, chopped
100g kale or cavolo nero, chopped
Handful of torn basil leaves
1/3 cup (25g) grated parmesan or vegetarian or vegan Italian hard cheese
Crusty bread (optional), to serve

Method

1.

Heat the oil in a large pan over a gentle heat. Add the onion, celery, leek and carrot and fry until softened but not golden, around 8-10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for a further 5 minutes, again until softened. Stir in the garlic and dried herbs and cook for 1 minute more.
2.

Squeeze in the tomato paste, pour in the stock and toss in the bay leaves. Tip in the tinned tomatoes and cannellini beans, along with the macaroni, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is almost tender.
3.

Season well with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, then tip in the green beans and kale and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the green beans are tender. I like my minestrone chunky, but if you prefer a thinner soup, you can add 100-200ml more hot water.
4.

Remove the bay leaves, then serve with a scattering of basil leaves, a little grated parmesan or hard cheese and some crusty bread alongside, if you like.