The next recipe on my list is a super easy soup, an Italian classic called Minestrone. It does not have a specific recipe and you can cook many versions of it. Some of them are vegetarian, some contain meat or are based on a chicken stock. But the base is vegetables. You can use every kind of vegetable you have in season, all the beans (but I still recommend the red ones for the color) and you can thicken the soup with rice or pasta. It’s all up to you 🙂
Today I will give you my favorite recipe of Minestrone which always turned out delicious. The whole cooking process takes around 1h 20min and it serves 8 portions. The best part is that this version is a VeGaN one and its still tastes like the original one. So enjoy and have fun cooking 🙂
The perfect Minestrone (VeGaN)
The perfect Minestrone recipe
Course: Lunches, Recipe book, VeGaN mealsCuisine: ItalianDifficulty: Easy8
servings30
minutes50
minutesThe best vegan recipe.
Ingredients
1 clove of garlic
1 red onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
1 small leek
One large potato
1 x 400 g of red canned beans
olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 x 400 g cans of chopped tomatoes
1 L vegetable stock
1 large Chinese cabbage
100 g wholewheat pasta
Couple of fresh basil leaf for garnishing
*Optional: Vegan Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Trim and roughly chop the carrots, celery, and then add the vegetables to a large bowl.
- Cut the ends off the leek, quarter it lengthways, wash it under running water, then cut into 1cm slices. Add to the bowl.
- Scrub and dice the potato. Drain the red beans, then set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, leek, oregano and bay and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally.
- Add the potato, red beans, and chopped tomatoes, then pour in the vegetable stock. Stir well.
- Cover with a lid and bring everything slowly to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through.
- Wash the Chinese cabbage under running water and remove the hard stalks. Chop the leaves roughly and place into a bowl.
- Pack or wrap the pasta in a clean tea towel. Using a rolling pin or your hand, bash it against a hard surface. The pasta should be broken into smaller pieces. Thanks to this the soup will get the extra thickness.
- Add the greens and pasta to the pot, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.
- Add a splash more stock or water to loosen, if needed.
- Pick over the basil leaves and stir through. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then serve with grated VeGaN Parmesan (if using) and a slice of wholewheat bread or a baguette, if you like. Enjoy 🙂
