The name ‘Minestrone’ has become something of a catch-all for a tomato, vegetable and pasta soup. I don’t pretend that the following version is any more authentic than most, but it certainly is attractive and full of flavour. I usually use black-eyed peas, because they enrich the colour of the soup, but it’s equally good made with whole lentils or chick pea(s).
Use 1/3 seawater to 2/3 fresh, if the sea is clean, and leave out the salt.
Serves
4 to 6 as a starter, 2 for a main course
Ingredients
2
tbsp olive oil
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot
1 stick celery OR 1 tsp celery seed
4 cups water
1/4 cup black-eyed peas
1 cup chopped cabbage
a piece of Pamesan cheese rind
2 onions
2 garlic cloves
1 carrot
1 stick celery OR 1 tsp celery seed
4 cups water
1/4 cup black-eyed peas
1 cup chopped cabbage
a piece of Pamesan cheese rind
14
oz/400 g tin of chopped tomatoes
2
tsp Annie's Mixed Herbs
about
20 lengths of spaghetti
salt
and pepper
Parmesan
cheese
Method:
- Heat the olive oil in the pressure cooker.
- Chop the onions and garlic and cook over a fairly high heat until they’re starting to brown.
- While this is happening, dice the carrot and the celery (seed). Add to the other vegetables.
- Pour in the water, add the black-eyed peas and bring to the boil. Pressure cook for 10 minutes. Reduce pressure gradually.
- When you can safely remove the lid, add the chopped cabbage to the pan. Return it to the flame. If you’re using the Parmesan cheese rind, cut this into small dice and add.
- Empty the tomatoes into the pan and mix them in.
- Now add the herbs and stir thoroughly.
- When the soup is boiling once more, lower the heat to a simmer, break the spaghetti into 25 mm (1 in) lengths and add this. Stir to separate the pieces of pasta.
- Add salt and pepper. Minestrone responds well to ½ tsp of cracked black pepper. Taste after a couple of minutes to see if it needs more salt.
- Cook until the spaghetti has softened – you can bring it back up to pressure for 3 minutes if you wish.
- Serve with chunks of bread and, if you have it, plenty of Parmesan cheese.
Variations:
- Use cannellini beans instead of the black-eyed beans. These will need soaking first. Or you could use a can.
- Replace the cabbage with kale
- Add 2 tbsps of freeze-dried peas
- Add chopped pepper to taste
- Replace the celery with 1 tsp celery seed
- Use chopped tomatoes in purée for a thicker soup.
- Add 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
Note:
- Vegans can use home-made vegan "Parmesan" cheese!