Minestrone with Pesto

How to make Minestrone with Pesto recipe - preparation 10 minutes cooking time 50 minutes Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups hot vegetable stock
1 x 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
1 x 400g/14oz can borlotti or cannellini beans, drained
125g/4oz/1 cup soup pasta
salt and ground black pepper
4 tsp fresh pesto
4 slices toasted bread

Method:
1 Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 10 minutes over a low heat until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for 2–3 minutes.

2 Add the hot stock, tomatoes and beans to the pan and then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.

3 Add the soup pasta and cook for a further 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the pasta is cooked. Check the seasoning and remove the thyme.

4 Serve the soup in four warmed bowls topped with a small spoonful of fresh pesto and slices of toasted bread.

Minestrone with Pesto recipe