Black-Eyed Bean, Pesto, and Vegetable Minestrone

Thumb_black-eyed_bean__pesto__and_vegetable_minestrone

(from walowrey’s recipe box)

Minestrone is an Italian soup which takes its name from “minestra” which refers to a hearty or chunky soup. There are probably as many different recipes for minestrone as there are people who cook it and every region of Italy has its traditional minestrone soup for which it is famous. However, all minestrone soups usually feature a tomato based broth (this could be thin or thick) with onion, celery, beans, seasonal vegetables and sometimes pasta or rice.

So minestrone is a soup that very easily adapts itself to what is available in one’s kitchen. And given the ingredients it accommodates, it makes for a nutritious and filling one-dish meal.

This recipe is adapted from Tarla Dalal’s The Complete Italian Cookbook. She says that this particular minestrone with pesto is from Milan. The pesto lends the minestrone a nutty flavour and can be made ahead, but add it just before you finish making the minestrone. This minestrone is best served as soon as it is made.

Source: My Diverse Kitchen

Serves 4 people

Categories: Italian, Soups, Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 big organic onion, finely chopped
  • 3/4 tsp garlic paste
  • 2 tbsp organic celery, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic carrots, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic zucchini, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1 1/4 cup organic black-eyed beans, cooked
  • 1/4 organic small shell pasta
  • 3 tbsp organic tomato purée
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 1/2 tbsp organic olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp fresh, organic basil leaves, chopped
  • 3 to 4 walnut halves

Directions

  1. Prepare the pesto by pounding together organic basil leaves, walnut halves, and 1 tbsp organic olive oil. Keep aside.

  2. Heat the remaining olive oil, add the garlic paste and onions, and sauté until the onions become transparent.

  3. Add the celery, carrots, zucchini and cabbage and sauté for a minute.

  4. Add about four cups of water, the tomato purée, salt, and sugar. Stir well and bring to a boil.

  5. Simmer until the vegetables have cooked but are firm.

  6. Add the beans and pasta and simmer again for about 10 minutes, until the pasta has cooked.

  7. Add the pepper and pesto and mix well.

  8. Serve out into individual bowls.

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