Minestrone Soup

Minestrone Soup

A classic Italian vegetable soup packed with flavor. Give this Italian recipe a try!

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves
3 large onions
2 celery sticks
2 large carrots
2 large potatoes
3 1/2 ounces green beans
3 1/2 ounces zucchini
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup olive oil
2 ounces bacon, finely diced
7 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 bunch fresh basil, finely chopped
3 1/2 ounces chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
3 1/2 ounces Parmesan cheese rind
3 ounces dried spaghetti, broken up
salt and pepper
frshly grated Parmesan cheese, to serve

Preparation:

1 – Finely chop the garlic, onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, beans and zucchini using a sharp knife.

2 – Heat the butter and oil together in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and onion and fry for 2 minutes, then stir in the celery, carrots, and potatoes and fry for 2 minutes longer, stirring the vegetables occassionally.

3 – Add the beans to the saucepan and fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the zucchini and cook for 2 minutes longer. Cover and cook all the vegetables, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes.

4 – Add the stock, basil, tomatoes, tomato paste, and cheese rind and season to taste. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Remove and discard the cheese rind.

5 – Add the spaghetti pieces to the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Serve sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Servings: 8 to 10