Eat Smarter USA | Eat Healthy. Live Smarter.
Ingredients
Minestrone with Pesto
- For the soup
- 100 grams onions
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks Celery
- ½ Fennel bulb
- 250 grams Tomatoes
- 250 grams small white Beans (canned)
- 80 grams Spinach
- 4 Tbsps grated Parmesan
- 50 milliliters olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 1 l Vegetable broth
- 30 grams toasted slivered almonds
- salt
- freshly ground peppers
- For the almond pesto
- 100 milliliters olive oil
- 30 grams Basil
- 30 grams slivered almonds
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 Tbsps grated Parmesan
- salt
- freshly ground peppers
For the almond pesto, puree all ingredients in a blender to make a paste and season with salt and pepper.
For the soup, peel onion and finely dice. Peel carrots, rinse and trim celery and fennel and chop carrots, celery and fennel.
Blanch tomatoes for a few seconds, peel, remove stem and dice. Rinse spinach, shake dry and chop coarsely.
Heat oil in a pan, saute onions until translucent, add carrots, celery and fennel and season with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup water, cover with lid and simmer 10 minutes on low heat.
Add fennel, tomato, beans and broth and bring to a boil for an additional 10 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer. Stir in spinach and almond pesto and season with salt and pepper. Serve on deep plates or in soup bowls. Garnish with sliced almonds and Parmesan.