Description
This Green Minestrone di Verdure is a vibrant and wholesome Italian vegetable soup featuring a medley of fresh greens, tender potatoes, beans, and aromatic herbs. Enhanced with a luscious homemade basil pesto, this comforting soup is perfect for a nourishing meal that combines rustic flavors with fresh ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
Soup Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1.5 quarts low sodium vegetable stock
- 1.5 cups golden potatoes, diced
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt
- 15 ounces canned borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup baby arugula or spinach
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 4-inch Parmesan rind (optional)
Pesto Ingredients
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- Pinch sea salt
Instructions
- Heat olive oil: Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat to prepare the base for your soup.
- Sauté base vegetables: Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot along with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes until vegetables soften and become fragrant.
- Add aromatics: Stir in the sliced garlic, rosemary sprig, thyme sprigs, and black peppercorns ensuring all are coated in olive oil for enhanced flavor.
- Cook cabbage: Mix in the shredded green cabbage and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until it wilts and melds with the other ingredients.
- Add potatoes, stock, and Parmesan rind: Incorporate the diced golden potatoes, optional Parmesan rind, and low sodium vegetable stock; bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer until tender: Allow the soup to cook for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender and fully cooked through.
- Incorporate beans and season: Stir in the drained borlotti or cannellini beans and adjust seasoning by adding sea salt if needed.
- Add greens: Toss in the baby arugula or spinach and let it wilt into the hot soup for added freshness and nutrients.
- Prepare pesto: Blend fresh basil leaves, toasted nuts, extra virgin olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon juice, grated Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of sea salt until smooth to create a vibrant pesto sauce.
- Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls and garnish with generous spoonfuls of your homemade basil pesto just before serving for a burst of fresh flavor.
Notes
- Use low sodium vegetable stock to control salt levels in the soup.
- The Parmesan rind adds depth of flavor but can be omitted to make it vegetarian (ensure Parmesan is vegetarian-friendly) or suitable for vegans by skipping altogether.
- Use any nuts you prefer or have on hand for the pesto, toasted for better flavor.
- Adjust the amount of lemon juice in the pesto to your taste preference for a brighter or milder tang.
- This soup can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; add pesto just before serving to keep it fresh.
