Italian recipes on a budget: Smoked bacon minestrone

Italian recipes on a budget: Smoked bacon minestrone

By Jo Pratt
Last updated at 11:00 PM on 30th January 2009

Start off your meal with this hearty, flavoursome soup. It's packed with lots of veggies, and is wonderfully straightforward to make.


Hearty: Smoked bacon minestrone

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

* 2tbsp olive oil
* 1 onion, finely chopped
* 200g smoked bacon, cut into thin strips
* 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
* 2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
* 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
* 1 courgette, finely diced
* 1/4 of a savoy cabbage, finely sliced
* 1 x 400g tin borlotti, cannellini or mixed beans, drained
* 400g tin chopped tomatoes
* 1tbsp tomato purée
* 1ltr chicken stock
* 6tbsp good quality green pesto
* Parmesan shavings to serve

METHOD

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the chopped onion, strips of bacon, crushed garlic, diced carrot and thinly sliced celery. Cook gently for about 15 minutes, until all the vegetables are softened but not coloured.

Add the diced courgette, sliced cabbage, tinned beans, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, chicken stock and bring to simmering point. Cook for 15 minutes and then season with salt and pepper.

Serve in individual bowls and finish by putting a spoonful of green pesto in the centre of each one before shaving over some Parmesan cheese. Serve straight away.

HANDY TIP: If you prefer a more filling soup, stir in a couple of handfuls of rice or pasta with the stock

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/food/article-1131711/Italian-recipes-budget-Smoked-bacon-minestrone.html