I love a soup that you can pull together easily with ingredients you already have in the fridge. This minestrone is hearty, healthy and inexpensive to make. The bigger shavings of parmesan give a hint of saltiness in every bite.
Winter Vegetable Minestrone
(Makes 4 servings)
Ingredients
- ⅔ pound Coles Finest Angus beef sausages, casings removed, meat broken into large chunks
- 1 tablespoon Coles Brand olive oil
- 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Coles Brand fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 1 centimeter pieces
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1 centimeter pieces
- 2 cups Coles Brand chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup Coles Brand shell pasta
- 1 cup Coles Brand canned cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup shaved Mil Lel parmesan cheese
Directions
- Heat large heavy based saucepan over high heat.
- Once hot, add sausage and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes.
- Remove from pan. Strain off any fat.
- Add oil and onion and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until onion softens slightly.
- Add garlic, fennel seeds, and rosemary, cook for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add carrots and parsnips, and cook for 2-3 minutes until tender.
- Season with salt and pepper. Return sausage to pan.
- Stir in the stock and water with wooden spoon, and bring to boil.
- Swirl back of ladle over surface of soup, pushing any fat or foam to edges.
- Add pasta and cook, stirring often, for about 9 minutes until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender.
- Remove rosemary stem. Gently stir in beans and simmer for 2 minutes, until heated through.
- Turn off heat and fold in spinach.
- Divide soup evenly among four serving bowls and serve with parmesan cheese.
Recipe courtesy Curtis Stone.
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