Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 100g white kidney beans

• 250ml olive oil

• 1 nos leek, chopped finely

• 1 nos onion, cubed or paysanne

• 1 nos carrot, cubed or paysone

• 1 stem celery

• 30g  Chicken Stock powder

• 1.5 litres water

• 50g potato, peeled and cubed

• 100g elbow or shell pasta

• 1 serving snow peas

• 1 nos zucchini, cubed

• 1 nos tomato, peeled, seeded and cubed

pesto

• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 20 nos sweet basil leaves
• 20g almond flakes
• 100g grated parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Instructions

• Dissolve 30g Chicken Stock powder into 1.5L boiling water and stir well.
• Soak kidney beans in cold water for at least 12 hours and cook 40 minutes in salted water. Drain and set aside.
• Heat up the olive oil in a casserole over low heat, add the leek and onion, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add carrot, celery, tomato and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock (or water) and add the beans and potatoes. Season to taste and simmer for 10 minutes. Add pasta, and cook on medium heat for about 8 minutes, or until pasta is firm to the bite (al dente). Stir in the snow peas, zucchini and tomato.
• To prepare pesto, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and process to a paste (or pound using a mortar and pestle), seasoning to taste with the salt and pepper.
• To serve, ladle hot soup into dish and top with a big dollop of pesto. Serve with the bread/biscuit.