Minestrone soup
Recipe Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp Kisan canola cooking oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 celery stick, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 200g (7oz) swede, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 x 400g tin plum tomatoes
- 1 x 400g tin borlotti beans, drained
- 50g (2oz) spaghetti, broken into pieces
- 1/2 Savoy cabbage, leaves shredded
- 1 x 30g pack basil, leaves picked and about half shredded
- freshly grated Parmesan, to serve
- 1 tbsp kisan oil
- 1kg (2lb) Willow Farms chicken drumsticks
- 1 leek, roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- 1 onion, halved
- handful parsley
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 tsp black peppercorns
Recipe Method:
- For the stock, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat.
- Brown the drumsticks in batches, then return to the pan along with the remaining stock ingredients.
- Cover with 1.5ltr (2 1/2pt) water and bring to the boil.
- Using a large metal spoon, skim the scum from the surface (repeat as needed during cooking).
- Push the ingredients down with the back of your spoon, submerging fully in the liquid, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours.
- Strain the stock through a sieve into a glass bowl and discard the rest – or see Delicious spins (below) for using up the chicken.
- Leave to cool before chilling for up to 2 days (or freeze for up to 3 months – see Expert tips), if necessary.
- To make the soup, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot and swede and cook for 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme leaves, then cook for 2-3 minutes more.
- Stir in the balsamic vinegar and tomato purée, then add the tomatoes. Cook for 5 minutes before breaking them up with a spoon.
- Add 1ltr (1 3/4pt) stock and the beans. Bring to the boil, then add the pasta and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Season to taste, then stir in the shredded basil.
- To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and scatter over the Parmesan, extra basil leaves and a little freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe Tips:
Make the most of your leftovers and use a whole chicken carcass left from a roast to make the stock. Simply add it along with the veg and water, simmering for the same amount of time.