Jamie Oliver’s “hearty and nutritious” minestrone soup is a favourite in the chef’s busy household.
“We make it every month and all the kids love it – it’s one of the dishes where they always go in for seconds,” Jamie, a father of five, shared.
Taking only 30 minutes to cook, there will be enough to feed up to eight people, meaning it’s more than likely you’ll have plenty left over for another day.
“To serve, reheat in a pan, stirring often until piping hot through,” Jamie instructed, revealing how simple it is to eat the soup for another day.
Here’s how to make Jamie’s “wholesome” minestrone soup that can help to keep you warm during the cold winter months.
Minestrone soup
Ingredients
- One clove of garlic
- Two small onions
- Olive oil
- Two fresh bay leaves
- Two carrots
- Two sticks of celery
- Two large handfuls of seasonal greens, such as savoy cabbage, curly kale, chard
- One vegetable stock cube
- 400g tin of plum tomatoes
- Two x 400g tins of beans, such as cannellini, butter, or mixed
- 100g dried pasta
- Parmesan cheese, Grana Padano or vegetarian alternative, to serve
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Crusty bread, to serve
Method
Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Put a large shallow casserole pan on a medium-high heat with one tablespoon of olive oil.
Add the garlic and the bay leaves, followed by the onions. Trim and chop the carrots and celery into rough 1cm dice, adding to the pan as you go.
Remove and finely chop any tough stalks from your greens and add to the pan. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly, or until softened and caramelised.
Crumble in the stock cube, pour in the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with your spoon, then add one tin’s worth of water. Pour in the beans, juice and all, then season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.
Shred your greens and sprinkle into the pan, top up with 600ml of boiling kettle water, then add the pasta.
Cover and leave to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked and the soup has thickened.
Season the soup, then serve it with a grating of Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
