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Spring-y Green Minestrone
Minestrone is not just for winter!
Our springtime minestrone is packed with peas, leeks, and pesto for a fresh, herby take. Top tip for the perfect batch: wash your leeks! There’s lots of grit within the leaves. All you need to do is cut them in half, run them under a stream of cold top water, and fully rinse the dirt and sand off each layer.
How to Make It
Ingredients
Pesto
- 1 ½ cups basil leaves, packed
- ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Soup
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, halved lengthwise, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt, divided
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups no-salt chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 19 oz (540 mL) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup farfalline pasta
- 2 cups frozen peas
- Thinly sliced radishes to garnish
Instructions
- For the pesto, add basil, cheese, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Season with black pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides if needed. With the motor running, slowly stream in oil. Continue pulsing until pesto is fully emulsified. Set aside.
- For the soup, heat oil in a large pot set over medium heat. Add leek and garlic. Season with ½ tsp salt and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leek is soft, about 4 to 6 minutes. Stir in broth, water, beans, and remaining 1 tsp salt. Bring to a full boil over high heat, then stir in pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is just al dente, 6 minutes. Add peas and continue cooking to warm through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in half the pesto.
- To serve, divide soup among 4 bowls. Then, top each with a spoonful of remaining pesto and garnish with radishes. Serve immediately.
How to Store It
Soup can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
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