Minestrone Milanese with Pesto Bread

Hello there,

Hope each one of you are safe, hale and hearty, snuggled in a thick duvet with a steaming hot cup of coffee or soup, ready to face the soon-coming winter. If you live in a part of the world which is awaiting blazing, hot summers…don’t tell me for I will turn red with envy. I am really ..realllly not a winter person. I love everything about summers but live in Dublin, where we are awaiting the harsh winters which made an appearance for the first time this morning. Brrr….

I woke up today and literally 5 minutes later thought- SOUP! It was a perfect day for a hearty vegetable laden soup and boy it didn’t disappoint. I learnt about this soup just yesterday at my college and knew that I had to recreate it at home!

Though similar to Minestrone, it has some different elements which made for a nice change from my usual Minestrone recipe. I made a vegetarian version today but have included Pancetta in the written recipe in the interest of sharing the authentic recipe with all of you today.

I accompanied my soup with simple yet fabulous pesto bread and the combination worked brilliantly.

Here’s the recipe for Pesto from my blog:

https://afoodiehousewife.wordpress.com/2017/04/04/crunchy-aromatic-basil-pesto-pasta/

Make this soup whenever you crave hot soup on a cold, freezing day and it will surely impress you with its beautiful flavors…I promise.

Give it a go friends, stay safe and enjoy! xx

Ingredients:

• Pancetta, diced (Optional)
• 2 tbsn Olive Oil
• 2 pods of peeled Garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups of a mix of finely chopped veggies- Carrots, Mushrooms, Zucchini, celery, Leeks (white and green parts)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped Green beans
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup boiled butter beans
• 2 finely chopped baby potatoes (peeled)
• 1/4 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 tsp Butter
• Some Sage leaves
• A sprig of Thyme
• 2 tbsn Chopped Parsley (Leaves and stalk)
• 1 tsp Tomato puree
• 1 chopped Tomato
• Rice or Pasta of your choice
• 4 cups Chicken stock/Vegetable stock/water
• 1 tbsn Lemon juice
• Parmesan shavings for garnish
• Salt & freshly cracked Black Pepper to taste

Accompaniment:

• A loaf of Sourdough or Focaccia bread, cut in large pieces and halved
• Pesto (Home-made or store-bought)
• Parmesan cheese

Method:

• Finely chop together Pancetta, garlic and onion.
• In a large pot, heat 2 tbsn Olive oil.
• Add the pancetta mixture and fry for a couple minutes.
• Throw in your finely chopped veggies- Mushrooms, Carrots, Leeks and Celery. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes.
• Add your butter, sage and thyme. Mix well till the Butter melts.
• Add the chopped Parsley and saute for 30 seconds.
• Add your heaped spoon of Tomato puree and mix well.
• Then, add chopped tomato + the chicken/vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Next, add the chopped potatoes, Green beans, peas and cabbage. Add one cup of water more if needed and bring to boil. Put back on simmer till these veggies soften up. Keep adding more water or stock if necessary.
• Add your rice/pasta and simmer for around 15 minutes in soup until tender. Soup should be fairly thick by now.
• Add the boiled butter beans and simmer for another 5-6 mins before switching off the gas.
• Squeeze in the lemon-juice and seasonings. Garnish with Parmesan shavings.
• Piping hot Minestrone Milanese soup is ready.
• To make your Pesto bread, smear the flat, white sides with pesto.
• Place in aluminium foil and bake for 10 mins at 200 degree Celsius.
• Drizzle with Parmesan shavings and serve hot with your Milanese soup!