Veggie Minestrone
Prep time : 20 minutes | Cook time : 1-2 hours | Makes 6 servings
This is my kind of minestrone, the one you make when you want the kitchen to smell good for hours and dinner to feel like it took care of you. It starts slow, with onions, garlic, carrots, and celery softening in olive oil, and builds layer by layer until it turns into something deeply comforting. The tomato paste gets time to cook down, the broth simmers with a parmesan rind until it’s rich and savoury, and everything just… settles.
A spoonful of pesto at the end adds this quiet depth you can’t quite place, the kale softens without losing its bite, and the tiny pasta makes it feel hearty without being heavy. It’s the kind of soup that’s better the next day, meant to be ladled generously, finished with lots of fresh parmesan and cracked pepper, and eaten with warm bread and butter nearby. Simple, nourishing, and exactly what you want when you need a bowl of something honest.
INGREDIENTS
1 yellow onion, diced
Olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 heaping tbsp herbes de Provence
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes (about 28 oz)
4–5 cups broth (vegetable or chicken, preferably homemade)
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 parmesan cheese rind
2–3 tbsp homemade pesto
3 kale leaves, chopped
½ cup tiny pasta (farfalline is perfect)
Fresh parsley and warm baguette with butter to serve
INSTRUCTIONS
Heat a generous drizzle of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic, carrots, and celery and cook for a few minutes until everything begins to soften.
Add the tomato paste, bay leaf, herbes de Provence, and season with salt and pepper. Stir well and let the tomato paste cook out slightly so it deepens in colour.
Pour in the canned tomatoes (crushing them in half gently with a spoon), followed by an equal amount of broth. Add the kidney beans and parmesan rind, stir, and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce heat to low and let it simmer, semi-covered, for at least 1 hour, letting the flavours build and the soup thicken naturally.
Stir in the pesto, chopped kale, and pasta. Add a bit more broth if the soup feels too thick. Simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the pasta is tender and the kale is soft.
Remove the bay leaf and parmesan rind. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper.
Serve warm, finished with freshly grated parmesan, chopped parsley, lots of freshly cracked black pepper, and a warm baguette with butter on the side.
