MINESTRONE – WITH LAMB
Description
Minestone is traditionally made to use up leftover vegetables. I am usually inspired to make it when I have leftover roast lamb, but really you can keep this veggie and add some meaty mushrooms instead.
This is such a beautiful soup, full of flavour. I usually make a large potful so it can last another meal. All you need is some bread and butter - we had a fresh baguette, crusty on the outside with lashings of butter. Lovely to dip in the hot soup!!
A perfect soup for the winter season.
Options: You can use other vegetables - sweetcorn and courgettes work well.
Add kale for a vitamin boost.
Add smoky pancetta or bacon lardons instead of lamb for depth
Ingredients
Instructions
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Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute over medium heat until it has all softened. (if adding pancetta or lardons, do this now. )
Add the garlic, potatoes and bay leaf -sautee for a few minutes.
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Mix in the tomato puree.
Add the cannellini beans with the water it comes in. Mix everything together.
Add the bouillon stock, pepper and worcester sauce.
Let it come to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer/cook for 15 minutes, till the potatoes are tender.
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Take a potato masher and gently crush the veg so that it thickens the soup.
Now add the cooked lamb pieces to the soup and let it simmer for another 10 minutes.
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Check for salt. Let it rest for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to deepen a little.
Add a handful of cooked pasta - I like a sprinkling of orzo in here, but any small pasta will do. If you have some broken pasta pieces use those.
Add some chopped basil or parsley at the end to garnish. Basil gives it a lovely flavour.
