In keeping with comfort foods I’m going to show you how to tackle a perennial favorite of mine, Minestrone, which is derived from the Provençal dish, Soupe au Pistou.
You get to flex your muscles a bit as this dish contains fresh herbs, which I covered earlier this week in my how to grow your own windowsill herbs post.
Ingredients
(Serves 4)
1 onion (chopped)
2 sticks of celery (chopped)
2 large carrots (diced)
2 russet potatoes (diced)
2 cloves of garlic (crushed)
Handful of winter greens (chopped)
1 can of chopped tomatoes (14 oz or 400g)
1 cup of pasta shells
2 cans of chicken broth (33 3/4oz or 1L)
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Basil pesto
Parmesan
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Step 1: Place a large pot on a medium heat, add onion, celery, carrots and potatoes to the pot with a splash of olive oil and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Step 2: Add your garlic, thyme sprigs and tomatoes, cooking for a further 2-3 minutes.
Step 3: Add your chicken broth, bringing the pot to a boil, then down to a simmer for 30 minutes.
Step 4: After the 30 minutes add in your winter greens and pasta shells and cook for a further 7-10 minutes, until al dente.
Step 5: Remove the thyme stalks and serve into bowls, add a tablespoon of basil pesto to each bowl with some grated Parmesan before serving. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Enjoy!
