This green minestrone is the perfect cozy soup for chilly winter days. Cooked white beans make it hearty. Serve it with a fresh garnish of herbs, lemon zest and juice, and if you want, some grated vegetarian pecorino cheese.
Every year when January comes around, I am feeling a twin pull. On the one hand, I am ready for fresher meals – something with lots of vegetables, something light, that doesn’t send me into a post-meal stupor. On the other hand, it is still very much winter, with temperatures to match, so I still crave foods that warm me from the inside out, when that cozy sweater and woollen socks just aren’t cutting it in the warming department.
Here’s where this green minestrone soup comes in. It ticks all the boxes, managing to be warming, cozy, light and satisfying all in one pot. And you can make it vegan by omitting the pecorino. This hearty soup feels very virtuous and I have no qualms about later enjoying some of the chocolate truffles I made a while back. Mostly because chocolate comes from a plant too. It’s all good!
Kitchen notes
The recipe, first time I made it, was inspired by one of Nigel Slater‘s. The green vegetables remind me of spring, and it’s a lighter but warming soup. The flavour base is leeks and green onions, you’ll want to gently sweat them in olive oil so they just sweeten, not brown. The green vegetables are added next: slim French green beans (called haricots verts in fancy food language), peas, and zucchini half-moons.
The white beans and orzo pasta (or cooked grains) will make the soup hearty. The pecorino (use a vegetarian option if you prefer), adds depth of flavour. The garnish of parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice and olive oil just brings a bit of zing to the dish. But you can just garnish with chopped fresh parsley if you can’t be bothered – though that extra final brightens the flavours so well with a herbaceous zing.
Styling notes
If you enjoy spending time to style this soup for the camera, this section is for you. The thing to remember is to not overcook the vegetables (they’ll turn olive green, instead of staying vibrantly green) and to prepare the garnish just before serving. Instead of adding the garnish on top, I prefer to leave some (or sometimes all of it) to the side, and in this way, on the table or on set, it creates context for the hero dish to shine in.
I also undercook the vegetables a bit, so they stay vibrant and in one piece when manipulated. I make sure to add to the bowl/plate I’ll be shooting the chunky bits first, then add broth around the veggies/pasta/beans. When I ladle out the vegetables, beans, or grains, I pay attention and set aside the nicely shaped and better looking ones. I place these on top, in a natural way, so the viewer understands from a glance what’s in the recipe. As I shoot I keep extra liquid handy, to brush on the exposed veggies, so they never look dry.
Green minestrone soup with herb, lemon, and olive oil sauce
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
For the soup:
2 tbsp (30ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 leek (150 g) halved lengthwise, white and light green parts chopped
3 green onions (25 g) white and light green parts only, chopped
4 bay leaves
½ cup (100 g) orzo pasta
2 cups (190 g) French green beans, ends trimmed and cut into pieces
1 cup (150 g) peas, fresh or frozen
1 medium zucchini (170 g) cut in ¼-inch rounds
4-6 cups 1 litre-1.5 litre vegetable stock, home made or from an organic stock cube
1 can (398ml / 14fl oz.) navy beans drained and rinsed under cold water
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the herb, lemon, and olive oil sauce:
3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
¼ tsp fine sea salt
zest of 1 lemon finely zested on a microplane
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
To serve:
1-inch chunk of Pecorino Crotonese cheese grated on a microplane grater, optional
Instructions:
For the soup, in a large pot set on medium heat, heat the olive oil, then add the chopped leek and green onions. Lightly salt them, then sweat them, turning the heat down to medium low.
When the leeks have softened, and before they start to brown, add the orzo pasta. If your green beans are as thick as a pencil, or frozen, add them now with the pasta. Stir orzo and green beans through the leek mixture, then add 4 cups of stock, stirring continuously for 1 minute to avoid it sticking.
Bring to a boil, continuing to stir every minute or so, to avoid the pasta sticking to the bottom of the pot. If using home made and unsalted stock, add about ¼ tsp fine sea salt. When boiling, turn the heat down and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the green beans are cooked al dente.
Add the peas and zucchini (and the green beans, if you were using slim, French ones, and didn’t add them before), and cook for another 3 minutes, until all the veggies and the orzo are completely cooked. Add the white beans and heat through. Season the soup with additional salt, if needed, and freshly ground black pepper. Don’t be too generous with the salt, as the herb sauce will be salty as well. Take off the heat and set aside while preparing the herb sauce.
For the herb, lemon and olive oil sauce: add all ingredients to a small bowl, and stir. Start with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. The sauce should taste very bright, and fairly salty. To serve, ladle hot soup into bowls and add about 1 tbsp of herb sauce to each plate. If desired, garnish with finely grated Pecorino cheese. For children, keep the herb sauce on the side, so they can add it or not, as they prefer.