Italian Soups Recipes - Big Vegetable Minestrone (Sostanzioso Minestrone di Verdura) Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 ml/1 tsp olive oil

• 225 g/8 oz salt belly pork, rinded and diced

• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

• 1 onion, chopped

• 5 ml/1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

• 5 ml/1 tsp chopped fresh oregano

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 15 ml/1 tbsp tomato puree (paste)

• 1.2Iitres/2 pts/5 cups vegetable or chicken stock

• 2 carrots, finely diced

• 3 celery sticks, chopped

• 2 potatoes, diced

• 225 g/8 oz/2 cups cooked haricot (navy) beans (or 2 X 425 g/2 X 15 oz/2 large cans, drained)

• 100 g/4 oz fresh or frozen peas

• 4 tomatoes, skinned and chopped

• 100 g/4 oz fine noodles

• 30 ml/2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

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Method:

1. Place the oil in a large pan and add the meat, garlic, onion, parsley, oregano, and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes until the ingredients begin to brown.

2. Add the tomato puree and 120 ml/4 fl oz of the stock. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Add all the vegetables and the beans and the remaining stock, then simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Add the noodles and cook for 10 minutes. Turn into a hot tureen and sprinkle with the grated cheese.