Minestrone alla Genovese
A thick, comforting Ligurian vegetable and bean soup cooked slowly and finished off the heat with fresh basil pesto.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-bottomed saucepan
- •Wooden spoon
- •Chef's knife
- •Chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- fat
- 15 g
- carbs
- 54 g
- fibre
- 8 g
- protein
- 12 g
- calories
- 390 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat.
- 2
Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery.
- 3
Cook gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the onion is soft and sweet.
- 4
Stir in the potatoes, courgette, green beans, and shredded chard.
- 5
Pour in the water and bring the pot to a steady simmer.
- 6
Add the cooked borlotti beans and season with fine sea salt.
- 7
Simmer uncovered for 25 minutes until the vegetables soften and thicken the broth.
- 8
Stir in the broken pasta and cook until tender to the bite.
- 9
Take the saucepan completely off the heat.
- 10
Stir in the pesto alla Genovese until smoothly incorporated.
- 11
Rest the soup for 10 minutes before ladling into bowls.
Chef's tips
Always add the pesto off the heat to preserve the fresh aroma and bright green colour of the basil. If you prefer a thicker texture, lightly crush a few potato and bean pieces against the side of the pot with your spoon.
Ingredient substitutions
- broken spaghetti → gluten-free short pasta or arborio rice
- Swiss chard → Savoy cabbage or spinach
- pesto alla Genovese → vegan basil pesto made without dairy cheese
Storage
Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over low heat, or eat cold straight from the fridge.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the soup after adding the pesto, which turns the basil brown and bitter.
- •Keeping the broth too thin rather than allowing the vegetables to break down naturally.
Serving suggestions
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