Winter Minestrone with Cheese and Basil Toasties
Ingredients
1 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 celery sticks, finely diced
1.5 red peppers, diced into 1cm pieces
1.5 onions, sliced
200 g of parsnips, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes
50 g of tomato purée
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
75 g of farfaline or macaroni (or other small pasta shape)
1 vegetable stock cube
1 (400g) tin pinto beans
100 g of kale, sliced
30 g of basil
140 g of coarsely grated mature cheddar
8 thick slices of white bread
4 servings
Calories~863 kcal
Protein~31 g
Carbs~114 g
Fat~31 g
Fiber~18 g
Sugar~19 g
Total recipe
Calories~3,450 kcal
Protein~125 g
Carbs~455 g
Fat~125 g
Fiber~70 g
Sugar~75 g
Method
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, preferably non-stick. Add the celery, red pepper and onion. Fry over a medium heat for 10-12 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veg is soft and the onion translucent.
Step 2
Put the parsnips into a large pan. Add the celery-onion-pepper mixture, the tin of tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic cloves and pasta. Crumble in the stock cube, then use the empty tomato tin to measure in 3 tinfuls of water; bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-12 mins, until the parsnips and pasta are soft.
Step 3
Drain and rinse the pinto beans; add to the pan. Stir in the kale and simmer for 1 min, to wilt. Season well. Roughly tear half the basil leaves and stir through.
Step 4
For the toasties, roughly tear the remaining basil leaves and mix with the cheddar, then divide over 4 slices of the bread; sandwich another 4 slices of bread on top and squash together. Brush the bread with olive oil and pan-fry until golden and the cheese is oozing.
Step 5
If you’ve made extra, the soup and the sandwiches (separated with sheets of baking paper) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Use a panini press to toast the sandwiches from frozen, or brush them lightly with olive oil and cook on a baking tray for 10-12 mins at 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6, until golden and the cheese is molten. Defrost the soup for 24-48 hrs in the fridge, or overnight at room temperature, then reheat in a microwave, adding a splash of water if it has thickened up too much. If you don’t have a microwave, reheat on the hob.
