WINTER MINESTRONE WITH PESTO CROûTES

Winter minestrone with pesto croûtes image

Keep the winter out and warmth in with nutritious minestrone and pesto croûtes

Provided by Mary Cadogan

Time 55m

Number Of Ingredients 16

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Ingredients

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion , chopped
100g unsmoked lardons or chopped streaky bacon
2 large carrots , chopped
2 sticks celery , chopped
1 medium potato , chopped
2 garlic cloves , finely chopped or crushed
400g can chopped tomatoes
1l vegetable stock (from granules or a cube)
2 tsp chopped sage leaves, or 1 tsp dried
few cabbage leaves, shredded
400g can haricot bean
handful chopped parsley
slices of crusty bread
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp pesto

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 274 calories, Fat 13 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 28 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 12 grams sugar, Fiber 8 grams fiber, Protein 13 grams protein, Sodium 2.56 milligram of sodium