Name: Green Minestrone With Mint Pesto
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 24 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: italian
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil; 3 cloves garlic (finely sliced); 3 null shallots (small, finely diced); 6 inch leek ((green part), finely sliced); 2 null carrots (diced finely); 2 null celery stalks (diced finely); 0.5 null fennel bulb (small, finely sliced); 8 null baby potatoes (small); null null broccoli florets (a few); null bunch asparagus (small, cut into 2 cm pieces); 0.5 cup fresh broad bean (podded); 2 cups chickpeas (cooked (or cannellini, black-eyed peas)); 0.5 cup fresh garden peas; 6 null baby courgettes (sliced into 1 cm slices); 2 tsp salt ((less if your stock contains salt)); null null black pepper (to taste); null null fresh lemon juice (to taste); 1.5 litres vegetable stock (unsalted); null null toasted sourdough (bread, to serve (optional)); 10 null almonds (chopped roughly); 1 clove garlic (small, sliced); null pinch coarse salt; 5 sprigs mint (leaves from 5 sprigs of mint, roughly chopped); 0.5 null lemon juice (approx. ½ lemon); 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil; null grind black pepper

Instructions

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1

Heat olive oil (2 tbsp) in a heavy-bottom pot. Add shallots (3), cloves (3 garlic), and leek (6 inch). Fry gently, stirring, until shallots are translucent and leeks are bright green. Add carrots (2), stalks (2 celery), and bulb (0.5 fennel), then fry for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
2

Pour in vegetable stock (1.5 litres) and add salt (1 tsp). Bring to a gentle boil.
3

To shell fresh broad bean (0.5 cup), cook them separately in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, then plunge into iced water to preserve color. Shell and set aside to add to the soup later.
4

Add potatoes (8 baby) to the simmering soup and cook for 6 minutes. Then add [broccoli florets] and simmer for 3 minutes. After that, add [bunch asparagus] and simmer for 1 minute. Finally, add courgettes (6 baby) and fresh garden peas (0.5 cup), simmering for a further 2 minutes.
5

Stir in cooked chickpeas (2 cups) and the prepared fresh broad bean (0.5 cup) just to warm them through.
6

Season with more [salt], a [grind black pepper], and a squeeze of [fresh lemon juice] as needed.
7

Serve with a dollop of mint pesto and a piece of [toasted sourdough].
8

To make mint pesto, crush almonds (10) in a pestle and mortar. Add garlic (1 clove) and a [pinch coarse salt], pounding to a paste. Incorporate [leaves from 5 sprigs mint] in batches with some juice (0.5 lemon) to prevent browning. Pound until minced, then drizzle in extra virgin olive oil (4 tbsp) to emulsify. Season with [grind black pepper], extra [salt], and [lemon juice] if required.