Italian Bean and Vegetable Soup with Small Pasta and Basil
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen, Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
A thick, rustic Italian soup of leek, carrot, courgette, cannellini beans and small pasta in a light tomato broth, finished with fresh basil, grated cheese and a drizzle of good olive oil. Hearty enough for a meal on its own.
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Method
- 1
Sweat the vegetables. Heat the oil in the pot over medium heat and cook the onion, leek, carrots and celery with a pinch of the salt for 10 minutes, stirring, until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and oregano for 1 minute. Cooking slowly without colour draws out the vegetables' natural sweetness for a gentle, mellow base.
- 2
Simmer with potato. Add the potato, tomatoes, water, remaining salt and pepper, then bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes until the potato is tender. Some of the potato starch seeps into the broth, giving the soup a fuller body.
- 3
Add beans and pasta. Stir in the courgette, beans and pasta and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring now and then so the pasta does not stick to the base, until the pasta is tender. Then add the spinach for 1 minute until wilted and the soup is boiling hot. If it looks very thick, loosen it with a splash of water, since the pasta absorbs liquid as it cooks.
- 4
Finish and serve. Stir in most of the basil, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the cheese, the remaining basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Adding basil at the end keeps its sweet, peppery aroma, which fades with long cooking.
Storage
Cool, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 4 days; the pasta softens and thickens the soup, so add water when reheating. Reheat until boiling hot (74°C).
Equipment
- large heavy-based pot with a lid (at least 5 litres)
- wooden spoon
- chopping board and knife
- colander
- ladle
- fine grater
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 277 kcal |
| Protein | 9.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 36.9 g |
| of which sugars | 6.6 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 11.2 g |
| of which saturates | 2.2 g |
| Fibre | 6.8 g |
| Salt | 2.09 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
3.4 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
