Description
A traditional Italian vegetarian green minestrone soup made without tomatoes and enhanced with homemade basil pesto, cabbage, potatoes, and beans. This hearty and flavorful soup is perfect for a comforting, nutritious meal with fresh herbs and a creamy pesto finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetable Soup
- 1 small onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 8 sprigs thyme
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.5 qt low sodium vegetable stock, plus more as needed
- 1.5 cups golden potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1.5 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
- 15 oz canned borlotti or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed well
- 1 cup baby arugula or spinach
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 4 inches Parmesan rind (optional)
Pesto
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves only
- 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts, walnuts, or hazelnuts
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, juiced (half for pesto, half for seasoning)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 pinch sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the base vegetables: Heat a soup pot over medium heat and add a lug of olive oil. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrot with a pinch of salt and sauté for about 10 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Add aromatics and cabbage: Stir in the sliced garlic, rosemary sprig, thyme sprigs, and black peppercorns. Toss everything quickly to coat with oil and flavors. Next, add the shredded cabbage and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes until the cabbage wilts.
- Simmer the soup: Add the diced golden potatoes, Parmesan rind (if using), and low sodium vegetable stock to the pot. Bring the soup to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Incorporate beans and greens: Stir in the drained and rinsed cannellini or borlotti beans and the cup of baby arugula or spinach. Cook for a couple more minutes just until the greens wilt. Adjust seasoning with additional sea salt as needed.
- Make the pesto: While the soup cooks, combine the basil leaves, olive oil, garlic cloves, toasted nuts, and half the lemon juice in a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add grated Parmesan cheese and season with a pinch of sea salt and more lemon juice to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the green minestrone into bowls and top with a generous spoonful of fresh pesto. Serve hot as a comforting and nutritious meal.
Notes
- For a vegan version, omit the Parmesan rind from the broth and leave out the grated Parmesan cheese in the pesto.
- You can substitute the nuts in the pesto with walnuts or hazelnuts if pine nuts aren’t available.
- Adjust the amount of vegetable stock to achieve your preferred soup consistency.
- Fresh arugula or spinach added at the end adds a nice peppery or mild green flavor and texture.
- Store-bought pesto can be used to save time, but homemade pesto adds freshness and depth.