I like to use leftover ham hock in this soup, but you could use shop bought or even bacon would work well. This soup keeps well for 2–3 days in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month, but it may need to be blitzed with a hand blender when reheating, as it may split.
Serves 6–8
- 900g (2lb) Carrots or sweet potatoes, diced
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, halved, seeded and
- thinly sliced
- 1.25 litres (2¼ pints)
- vegetable or chicken stock
- 4 tsp tomato purée
- 400g (14oz) can coconut milk
- 225g (8oz) cooked, shredded
- ham hock
- sea salt and freshly ground
- black pepper
- handful of fresh coriander leaves,
- to garnish
- crusty bread, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6). Place the sweet potatoes in a baking tin, drizzle over 1 tablespoon of the sunflower oil and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender. Set aside. Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery and chilli and sweat for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the roasted sweet potatoes with the stock and tomato purée, then bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, until all of the vegetables are completely tender. Reserve 3–4 tablespoons of the coconut milk as a garnish and
pour the remainder into the pan with most of the shredded ham hock, again holding a little back to garnish. Cook for another few minutes, stirring constantly. Season to taste and ladle the soup
into warmed bowls. Add a drizzle of the reserved coconut milk and scatter over the rest of the shredded ham hock and the coriander leaves to garnish. Serve hot with crusty bread on the side.
Minestrone Soup WITH PESTO
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Simply Better Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stick, trimmed and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 x 428g Jar of Simply Better Italian Tomato & Basil Pasta Sauce
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 600ml vegetable stock
- 100g fine green beans, cut into 3cm pieces
- 120g Simply Better Italian Bronze Die Spaghetti, broken up into short pieces
- 1 x 400g butterbeans, drained & rinsed
- 1 tbsp fresh basil, shredded
- 1 tbsp Simply Better Italian Pesto Alla Genove
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large pot and add the carrot, celery and garlic.
Sauté for 5 minutes, until softened but not brown.
Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato purée and vegetable stock and stir
Add the broken spaghetti pieces
Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the liquid has slightly reduced, and the vegetables are tender. Once the pasta is cooked add in the fine green beans & stir to combine
Stir in the basil then season to taste with sea salt & freshly ground black pepper and cook for another minute or two, until the beans are just tender.
Ladle into a bowl & spoon over some fresh basil pesto
Serve with sourdough bread, if desired