Spring minestrone
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Kris Kirkham
Spring minestrone
This is a soup that relies on a good stock for the best flavour, so use a fresh, or even homemade, stock instead of from a cube. Mix and match spring veg as you wish
Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
168Kcal
Fat
6gr
Saturates
1gr
Carbs
20gr
Sugars
6gr
Fibre
5gr
Protein
7gr
Salt
0.5gr
Debbie Major
Cook, writer and food stylist, Debbie's reputation for foolproof, delicious recipes is second to none. She is renowned for her dedication to seasonal home cooking and her love of all things rustic and authentic. Simplicity over cheffy is her motto!
See more of Debbie Major’s recipes
Debbie Major
Cook, writer and food stylist, Debbie's reputation for foolproof, delicious recipes is second to none. She is renowned for her dedication to seasonal home cooking and her love of all things rustic and authentic. Simplicity over cheffy is her motto!
See more of Debbie Major’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 2 echalion shallots, thinly sliced
- 150g spring carrots, scrubbed and diced or sliced
- 1 celery stick (about 50g), diced
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 1.2 litres light chicken or vegetable stock - use vegetarian stock if required
- 2 mint sprigs
- 100g orzo or other small pasta, or spaghetti broken into 1cm pieces
- 1 small courgette (about 150g), diced or sliced
- 200g fine asparagus, trimmed and chopped into short lengths
- 100g shelled petit pois peas, fresh or frozen
- 200g sugar snap peas, pods halved diagonally
- 100g baby leeks or 1 bunch of spring onions, trimmed and sliced
To serve
- 2-3 tbsp fresh basil pesto - use vegetarian pesto if required
- a small handful of small mint leaves
- 4-6 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese - use vegetarian cheese if required
- zest of 1 lemon
Step by step
Get ahead
If planning to store extra portions to eat in the week, cook (and store) the pasta separately from the veg and broth. Add when reheating. Keeps for 3 days in the fridge.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and gently cook for 2 minutes without browning. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and cook for another 1 minute.
- Add the stock and mint sprigs to the pan and bring to the boil. Add the pasta, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Uncover the pan and add the courgette, asparagus, peas and sugar snaps. Bring back to the boil, add the leeks or spring onions and simmer for 3 minutes uncovered. Season to taste.
- Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, spoon over a little pesto and serve scattered with the mint leaves, Parmesan cheese and lemon zest.
