Munch minestrone

It is still really cold in Cape Town. It’s only the very beginning of winter, so I suppose that’s to be expected for the next few months, but I always forget just how cold winter can be. And so I have been forging ahead with the soups. But I get bored making the same formulaic soups day in, day out, so sometimes I make a soup that (gasp!) does not rely on my soup formula. For example, minestrone, a hearty Italian vegetable soup, usually with beans and pasta added.

There are a million variations of minestrone available, and most people are scandalised by any version other than their own. I’m sure the following recipe will be shocking and disturbing to anyone who has their own minestrone recipe. If that’s the case, please don’t read any further, rather go make your own usual pot of minestrone which is, I’m sure, delicious. If, however, you don’t yet have a minestrone recipe of your own, then give this one a try.

Munch minestrone

Serves 4 – 6

1 small onion, diced finely

Olive oil

1 celery rib, diced finely

4 medium carrots, diced finely

1 large leek, washed, halved, and sliced thinly

2 tb tomato paste

250g courgettes, sliced finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 500g tin chopped tomatoes

750ml hot stock or water

Bay leaf

Sprig of thyme

Parmesan rind (optional, but adds a lot of flavour if you’ve got one lying around)

1 cup cooked white beans (or canned)

½ cup small elbow macaroni

Salt, pepper, and lemon juice

Place a large pot over medium heat, add some olive oil, and sauté the onion until soft and translucent. Add the celery, carrots, and leek, and sauté for a further five minutes.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pot and add the tomato paste to the middle of the pot, leaving it there for a few minutes without stirring, so that it caramelizes a bit. Then add the courgettes, garlic, tomatoes, stock/water, herbs, Parmesan rind, and beans, give it all a good stir, and simmer for about an hour.

After an hour of simmering, add the macaroni – if the liquid has already reduced a lot and the soup is thick, add a bit more liquid at this point. Simmer for a further 20 minutes to cook macaroni.

Taste and season the soup as needed with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, and serve with grated Parmesan.

As with most soups, this minestrone gets better with age, so it’s a good idea to make it a day or two in advance.