Minestrone
by Charlie McCarthy, Sr.
Ingredients
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 2 medium onions
- 2 cloves garlic
- olive oil
- 800 g white cannellini beans
- 200 g cauliflower
- 200 g broccoli
- 200 g spinach
- 2 tomatoes
- stock
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- parmesan cheese
- cracked pepper
Instructions
Step 1
Peel and roughly slice the carrots
Step 2
Slice the celery
Step 3
Peel and roughly chop the medium onions
Step 4
Peel and slice the garlic
Step 5
Put a large pot on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Step 6
Add all the chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon
Step 7
Cook for around 10-15 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden
Step 8
Meanwhile, drain the white cannellini beans
Step 9
Break up the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets
Step 10
Roughly chop the spinach
Step 11
Quarter the tomatoes, removing any stalks
Step 12
Pour in stock then add the cannellini beans, cauliflower, broccoli, quartered tomatoes and the can of diced tomatoes (and frozen spinach if using frozen)
Step 13
Give the soup a good stir and bring to the boil
Step 14
Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on
Step 1
Add the spinach to the pot and cook for a further 30 seconds, then remove the pot from the heat
Step 2
If you like your soup a little less chunky, you can take out half of it, blend it using a hand blender or liquidizer, then stir it back into the pot
Step 3
Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish with grated parmesan cheese and cracked pepper