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Simple Minestrone Soup with Cheesy Garlic Bread

Wholesome, hearty and full of flavor, homemade minestrone is a beautiful thing. Ready in 45 minutes with seasonal vegetables and homemade cheesy garlic bread. Perfect for batch cooking and serves 8 people.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 portions
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 574
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 rashers Smoked back bacon Finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp Olive oil Plus extra for serving
  • 3 cloves Garlic Peeled and finely sliced
  • 2 tsp Dried thyme
  • 2 medium Carrots Trimmed, scrubbed and chopped into 1cm chunks
  • 2 sticks Celery Trimmed and chopped into 1cm chunks
  • 2 medium Onions Peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 x 400g tins Plum tomatoes Scrunched in through clean hands
  • 2 x 400g tins Cannellini beans Juice and all
  • 1 whole Sweetheart cabbage Outer leaves removed, finely sliced and chopped
  • 200 g Spaghetti Bashed up before adding
  • 1200 ml Water Approximately 3 tins worth
  • Pinch to taste Sea salt and black pepper
  • 400 g Self-raising flour Plus extra for dusting
  • 125 g Mature Cheddar cheese Grated
  • 0.5 x 190g jar Green pesto
  • 250 ml Cold water For the dough

Equipment

  • Large saucepan
  • 30cm non-stick frying pan
  • large bowl
  • Rolling Pin

Method
 

  1. Finely chop the bacon and place it in a large, cold saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then place on a medium-high heat and fry for 3 minutes, until golden.
  2. Peel, finely slice and add 2 cloves of garlic, along with the thyme, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
  3. Trim, scrub and chop the carrots and celery into 1cm chunks, adding them to the pan as you go. Peel, roughly chop and add the onions. Season with sea salt and black pepper and cook for 10 minutes, or until golden and softened.
  4. Add the tomatoes, scrunching them in through clean hands, then the beans, juice and all, along with 3 tins' worth of water. Stir well, then cover and bring to the boil.
  5. Click the outer leaves off the cabbage, then finely slice and add to the pan. Slice the cabbage in half, carefully cut out the stalk and chop into 1cm chunks, finely slice the rest and stir into the soup. Cook for 10 minutes.
  6. Bash up and add the pasta, stir and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked through.
  7. Meanwhile, pile the flour into a large bowl with a good pinch of salt. Make a well in the middle, pour in 250ml of cold water, then use a fork to mix until you can't move it any more. Use your clean hands to bring it together as a ball of dough, adding more flour if needed.
  8. Knead on a flour-dusted surface for 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic.
  9. Divide the dough into two and, one at a time, roll out each piece on a floured surface into a rough round the same size as your pan. Grate over all the cheese into the middle of one round, leaving a 1-inch gap around the edge, then carefully place the second piece of dough on top, pinching and crimping the edges to seal.
  10. Place a 30cm non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat and, once hot, carefully lift the bread into the pan and cook for 5 minutes on each side.
  11. Loosen the pesto with 1 tablespoon of oil in a bowl, then peel, finely grate and mix in the remaining clove of garlic. Once the bread is done, transfer it to a board and brush on one side with the pesto mixture.
  12. Taste and season the soup to perfection, then finish with a drizzle of oil if you like. Divide between bowls and serve with the cheesy garlic bread for dunking.

Notes

Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 3 months, cool thoroughly before freezing and use within 48 hours of thawing. Reheating: Thaw in the fridge before use and reheat until piping hot throughout. Don't freeze again after reheating. Tips: No need to peel carrots and celery, just scrub and chop. Bash up pasta before adding for easier eating. Knead dough for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Use this as a principle recipe and swap in seasonal vegetables you already have.