Minestrone soup will have ‘tons more flavour’ if you add 1 ingredient cook always uses (Image: Getty)
Minestrone soup is a healthy and hearty budget-friendly one-pot that can be adapted in many different ways.
It’s loaded with vegetables and affordable items like canned beans and pasta.
According to home Maria, with , the secret to minestrone’s heartiness lies in the bean mixture.
She said: “My favourite part of this soup is the thicker broth created by a mixture of broth and pureed white beans. This is a simple trick that brings tons of flavour.
“Blending white beans with chicken broth [stock] creates a creamy texture without the need for heavy cream or flour.”
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Minestrone soup is a healthy and hearty budget-friendly one-pot recipe (Image: Getty)
Ingredients (serves six)
One medium onion, chopped
Two stalks of celery
Two garlic cloves
A quarter cup of minced parsley
One diced courgette
One tablespoon olive oil
Three cups of chicken stock
One can of diced tomatoes
One can of drained and rinsed white beans (cannellini beans)
One cup chicken stock (for bean mixture)
One teaspoon of dried rosemary
Two bay leaves
One teaspoon of dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Two cups fresh or defrosted frozen spinach
One cup pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional, for garnish)
Method
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat before adding in the chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
Add three cups of chicken stock and a can of diced tomatoes to the pot. Stir to combine.
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The secret to minestrone’s heartiness lies in the beans (Image: Getty)
In a blender or using a hand blender, whizz one cup of chicken stock with the drained and rinsed white beans until smooth. Pour this bean mixture into the soup.
Add dried rosemary, bay leaves, dried basil, minced parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir everything together.
Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and let it simmer for about 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, remove the cover, and add the diced courgette and two cups of fresh or defrosted frozen spinach. Cover and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, cook the pasta separately according to the package instructions.
Remove the bay leaves from the soup. To serve, place a desired amount of cooked pasta into each bowl, then ladle the soup over the pasta. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.