Best Pesto Minestrone Recipes

MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot. Stir in leek and onion and cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add carrots, celery, and garlic; cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Pour hot vegetable broth into the pot and stir well. Add bay leaf and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 10 to 12 minutes.
• Stir in zucchini and peas. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, cover, and let simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
• Uncover the pot and stir in beans. Let simmer for 10 minutes; stir in pesto sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

SUMMER MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add broth and next 7 ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pot, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach; simmer 3 minutes longer. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into 6 bowls; garnish each with 1 tablespoon pesto. Serve, passing cheese separately.

VEGETABLE AND BEAN SOUP WITH PESTO: MINESTRONE ALLA GENOVESE AND SANDWICHES WITH ARUGULA AND HAM: PANINI CON RUCOLA E PROSCIUTTO

Steps:

• Heat a medium soup pot over medium high heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan. Add onion, potato and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook 5 or 6 minutes alone, stirring frequently, then add the canned beans and the chicken stock. Cover the pot and bring the soup up to a boil.
• Preheat a panini grill or a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat. Build 4 panini: spread roll or bread with a couple ounces of cheese, then top with a few leaves of arugula and 2 slices of prosciutto for each sandwich. Place panini in sandwich press or onto hot, heavy bottomed pan. Top with another heavy skillet or a brick wrapped in foil to press sandwiches. Press sandwiches until crisp on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• When the soup is at a boil, remove the lid. Stir in the noodles and green beans and reduce heat to low. Simmer soup an additional 5 to 6 minutes then remove it from the heat.
• Combine basil, garlic, nuts and cheese in the food processor and turn it on. Stream in the extra-virgin olive oil and process until pesto is nearly smooth.
• Scrape the pesto into a small bowl. Add a ladle of the soup broth to thin the pesto, then add the pesto to the soup. Stir to combine and serve soup immediately with panini, for dipping.

PESTO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the water, mixed vegetables, broth, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3 minutes. , Add the tortellini, zucchini and pesto. Simmer, uncovered, 7-9 minutes longer or until pasta and vegetables are tender.

WINTER MINESTRONE WITH PESTO CROûTES

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and lardons or bacon and fry for about 5 mins until the onion is starting to brown. Tip in the carrots, celery, potato and garlic, stir well and cook for a few minutes.
• Add the tomatoes, stock and sage, and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce heat to simmer and cook partly covered for 30 mins, stirring in the cabbage after 15 mins. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pan with the parsley. Season and serve with pesto croûtes, see right, or crusty bread.
• For the pesto croûtes: Cut 3-4 slices of crusty bread into chunks, about 2cm thick. Tip into an ovenproof pan. Mix the olive oil and pesto, then add to the bread, tossing it with your hands until the croûtes are evenly coated. Bake in a moderate oven for about 10 mins until crisp.

SUMMER MINESTRONE AL PESTO

Steps:

• Set a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat, and add olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion and season generously with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to color, 5 or 6 minutes.
• Add garlic, bay leaf, tomato paste and red pepper. Cook, stirring, for another minute, then add wine, if using, and tomatoes, and bring to a brisk simmer.
• Add 8 cups water and a good pinch of salt and let mixture return to a brisk simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then taste for seasoning. The broth should be well seasoned before the vegetables go in.
• Make the pesto: As the broth simmers, pound the garlic and salt to a paste in a large mortar. Beginning with a few basil leaves at a time, pound basil to a paste, then add parsley leaves and a little salt. Continue to pound until all the basil and parsley have been pounded into a coarse green paste. (Alternatively, many people may wish to make the pesto in a food processor.)
• Transfer to a serving bowl and whisk in olive oil and Parmesan. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Set pesto aside covered with a thin layer of oil or with plastic film pressed against its surface to prevent oxidation.
• Add the zucchini, romano beans and pasta to the simmering broth and cook 7 to 8 minutes, until pasta is al dente. Add green beans and cook for a minute or 2.
• Ladle soup into bowls, topping each with a dollop of pesto. Pass more grated Parmesan at the table.

RED WINTER MINESTRONE WITH WINTER GREENS PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water. Strip beet greens, turnip greens, and kale from their coarse stems and wash leaves well. Working in batches, cook each bunch in boiling water until bright green and slightly limp, about 1 minute. Transfer immediately to ice water and repeat with remaining greens. Discard cooking water.
• Remove greens from ice water and squeeze out as much water as possible.
• Combine greens, 2/3 cup olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt in blender or food processor; blend until smooth. Transfer pesto to a bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in onion, grated tomato, 4 cloves minced garlic, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, bay leaf, and chili flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes; reduce heat to low. Continue cooking and stirring until vegetables are a deep golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Pour remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over onion mixture. Stir in leek, carrot, turnips, and beets. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Pour white wine over vegetable mixture and scrape browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Mix cannellini beans and green beans into vegetable mixture; pour in 5 cups water. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until green beans are tender, about 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley and lemon juice.
• Divide soup among heated bowls and serve with a generous dollop of the winter greens pesto.

MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Place beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, then drain. Combine beans and 8 cups water in a large saucepan. Add onion, bay leaf, and prosciutto ends, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are just tender (but not mushy, as they should hold their shape in the soup), 30 to 45 minutes. Drain, reserving beans and 4 cups liquid; strain reserved liquid. Discard onion, bay leaf, and prosciutto, and cover beans.
• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add celery, carrot, and onions, and cook, stirring often to prevent them from scorching on the bottom, until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Add leek and garlic to soffrito and cook, stirring often, until soft, about 4 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high, and then add sliced celery and carrots along with the potato, zucchini, and green beans. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are golden, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in reserved bean liquid, the tomatoes and juice, kale, cabbage, stock, cheese rind, prosciutto ends (if using), bay leaf, and red pepper flakes; season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook 1 hour.
• Stir in beans and continue cooking until all vegetables are very tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.
• For basil pesto, cover garlic in a small saucepan with water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately drain and let garlic cool to room temperature.
• With a large mortar and pestle, pound together basil, garlic, pine nuts, and salt until the basil is pulverized and the pine nuts and garlic are pasty, about 10 minutes. Add the cheese and pound to incorporate. Mixing vigorously, pour in the oil in a slow steady stream, and mix until combined (it will not be emulsified). Serve immediately or cover with a layer of oil and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
• Ladle soup into bowls, incorporating beans and vegetables in each and top with pesto and grated cheese, if desired. The soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 3 days; thin with water, if necessary, before reheating over gentle heat.

MEATBALL MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the meatballs all over until browned. Remove and set aside on a plate. Add the carrot, celery and onion to the pan, and fry for 10 mins until soft. Stir in the garlic, oregano and bay. Tip in the tomatoes, beans, pasta and stock. Bring to a simmer.
• Add the meatballs back to the pan and cook until the pasta is tender and the meatballs are cooked through. Season, and add a dash of vinegar or a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes, if you like. Ladle into four bowls, then swirl a spoon of pesto into each. Top with the basil to serve.

GREEN PESTO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, celery and a pinch of salt, and fry for 8 mins until soft. Add the stock with the zest and juice of the lemons, and season. Stir in the orzo and cook for 5 mins, then add the peas and spinach, and cook for a further 5 mins. Swirl though the pesto and season.
• Heat the flatbreads, if using, following pack instructions. Ladle the soup generously into bowls and top with a handful of parmesan. Serve with the flatbread to dip.

MINESTRONE ALLA GENOVESE (WITH PESTO)

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat oil.
• Saute onion and garlic 2-3 minutes.
• Add cabbage, celery, and carrots. Saute 5 minutes.
• Add broth, water, tomato paste, and herbs. Partially cover pan and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add zucchini, beans, and salami; cook 15 minutes.
• Add pasta; cook until al dente.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Stir in pesto sauce just before serving.
• Serve in large bowls with grated cheese.

BARLEY MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Place the barley in a pan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 25-30 minutes until tender; then drain.
• In a large pot, combine all vegetables with the stock and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the vegetables are just tender.
• To make pesto, place the basil and garlic in a blender; add 1/2 cup of the vegetable cooking liquid and blitz to a smooth puree.
• Add the puree to the soup, stir until combined, then add the cooked barley. Season with black pepper and serve.

CHICKEN MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except the cannellini beans, zucchini, green beans and pesto in a 4-qt or larger slow-cooker.
• Cover and cook on low 7 to 9 hours until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
• Stir in cannellini beans, zucchini and green beans. Cover and cook on high 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
• Spoon into bowls; top servings with pesto.

SHELLFISH MINESTRONE WITH BASIL PESTO

Steps:

• Make the basil pesto: Put basil, parsley and 2 chopped garlic cloves in a blender. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Add 1/2 cup olive oil and purée on high speed, scraping down sides as necessary. Pour into a small serving bowl, cover tightly and set aside.
• Make the soup: Put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrot, season generously with salt and pepper and stir to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add red pepper, saffron, 8 cloves minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme and let sizzle, then add tomato and simmer a few minutes more.
• Stir in cannellini beans. Add clams, in one layer if possible, and 1 cup water. Turn heat to high and put on lid. Keep at a rapid simmer until all clams have opened, about 5 minutes. (If desired, remove clams, shuck them and return shucked clams to pot.) Add fish stock and bring to a simmer. Taste broth and adjust seasoning.
• Just before serving, add squid, peas and fava beans, if desired, and simmer for 2 minutes. Ladle into shallow soup bowls and stir 2 teaspoons basil purée into each.

SPRING MINESTRONE VERDE WITH PISTACHIO PESTO

Steps:

• Make the soffritto:
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook onions, leeks, and celery, stirring often, until soft but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Season with salt.
• Make the pesto:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Toast pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Let cool; crush using a small saucepan (you want a mix of sizes).
• Pulse garlic, basil, parsley, and 1/3 cup oil in a food processor until a coarse purée forms. Transfer to a medium bowl and mix with Parmesan, lemon zest, crushed nuts, and remaining 1/3 cup oil; season with salt and pepper.
• Make the soup:
• Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high. Cook thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 cup soffritto, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. (Reserve remaining soffritto for another use.) Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add sugar snap peas; cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Add kale, beans, and peas and cook until kale is wilted and peas are tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
• Serve soup, topped with some Parmesan and red pepper flakes, with toast and pesto.
• Do Ahead
• Soffritto can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 1 month.

SLOW-COOKER PESTO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Toss the carrots, leeks, potatoes and fennel with the olive oil in a 6- to 8-quart slow cooker. Add 5 cups water, the tomatoes, parmesan rind, 2 tablespoons pesto, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and cook on high until the vegetables are tender, 7 to 8 hours.
• Uncover and stir in the beans and ditalini. Cover and continue cooking on high until the pasta is al dente, about 15 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon pesto and season with salt and pepper. Top each serving with more pesto, the parmesan and fennel fronds. Serve with the focaccia.

CLASSIC MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• Rinse spinach leaves, set aside. If using large leaves, you may want to chop them. I just use the bag of small leaves, and don't chop. Heat oil in a large stockpot. Add the leeks, carrots, onion and celery and sauté over medium heat until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the stock or water, potato, zucchini, spinach and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 hour. Stir in the beans and salt to taste. Simmer just until the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. (The soup can be refrigerated for 2 days and reheated just before serving.) I sauté Italian turkey sausage, or cut up precooked chicken/turkey pesto sausage (or anyone you like) and sauté it and then add it to the soup. It adds some additional protein and flavor or you can add basil pesto to taste instead ( ¼ cup is what is suggested in the recipe). Ladle soup into bowls and serve with grated cheese.

VEGETABLE MINESTRONE WITH PESTO

Steps:

• 1. In a medium saucepan over moderate heat, warm the oil. Add the onion, celery, carrot, leek, potato, and parsley, and sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
• 2. Add the fava beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and 2 quarts of water to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, then add the green beans, peas, spinach, and the Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. Reduce the heat to moderately low, season to taste with salt and pepper, and simmer until the beans and potatoes are fully cooked and tender, about 20 minutes.
• 3. Remove and discard the Parmigiano-Reggiano rind. Divide the soup among heated soup bowls and top with the pesto. Note: You may cool, cover, and refrigerate the soup up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months.

MINESTRONE SOUP WITH PESTO MEATBALLS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F.
• Mix meat, bread crumbs. egg and 3 Tbsp. pesto sauce just until blended. Shape into 24 (1/2-inch) meatballs. Place on rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Bake 15 to 20 min. or until done (160ºF).
• Meanwhile, cook macaroni as directed on package, omitting salt. While macaroni is cooking, combine pasta sauce, water and bouillon in large saucepan. Add vegetables and chickpeas; stir. Bring to boil, stirring frequently.
• Drain macaroni. Add to pasta sauce mixture along with the meatballs and remaining pesto sauce; mix well. Cook on medium-low heat 3 to 5 min. or until heated through, stirring frequently.

TORTELLINI & PESTO MINESTRONE

Steps:

• Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan. Tip in the pasta and cook following pack instructions, throwing in the spring greens and peas and pesto (reserving a little to serve) with 1-2 mins to go.
• When the vegetables are tender, pasta is cooked and broth is piping hot, spoon into bowls. Top with a dollop of remaining pesto, a good grind of black pepper and serve.