Winter Minestrone

Winter Minestrone Soup

This soup can easily move with the seasons and is so so delicious using up the best of what's in season in the UK. You don't have to use the exact veg and can play around with what you have but, just roughly keep to the amounts. I also like to put a spoon of pesto, chilli oil or salsa verde on top for another level of flavour.

Ingredients:

Vegan/ gluten-free / dairy-free
Serves 4

600g squash pieces (roasted with 3tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper for 30 mins, then chopped up small)
3 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots (220g), finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
1 banana shallot, diced
few sprigs thyme and rosemary
8 garlic cloves, diced
1 heaped tbsp tomato purée
100ml white wine
230g button mushrooms, bigger ones halved
600ml vegetable stock, hot
250g borlotti beans, cooked
zest of half a lemon and 1 tbsp juice
salt and pepper
handful chopped parsley for serving, optional

Making Your Winter Soup

Roast squash for 30 mins turning over halfway. When cooled, chop into smaller pieces.

Prep all the veg!

Set a large saucepan to medium to high heat add 3 spoons of olive oil followed by the carrots, leek, shallot, thyme and rosemary.

Cook for 3 mins before adding in the garlic and tomato purée and fry for another 2 mins. Pour over the wine and allow the alcohol to burn off for 2 mins.

Add the mushrooms and veg stock and bring to a boil. Then down to a simmer for 2 mins. Check that everything is cooked before adding the borlotti beans and the squash.

Stir everything together and season with salt, pepper and lemon zest and lemon juice.

Taste to check the seasoning before serving. This will keep for 3-4 days!