Name: Meatball minestrone soup with chilli basil pesto
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 500g pork and veal mince; 2 garlic cloves, crushed, plus extra 2 cloves, crushed; 2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped; Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season; 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil; 1 red onion, diced; 2 carrots, sliced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 1 large potato, peeled, diced; 1 large zucchini, cut into half moons; 2 dried bay leaves; 2 Tbsp tomato paste; 400g can diced tomatoes; 1L chicken stock; 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained; 2/3 cup small pasta (such as risoni, small shells or ditalini); 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped; CHILLI BASIL PESTO; 2 cups firmly packed basil leaves, plus extra, to serve; 1 long red chilli, roughly chopped; 1 cup finely grated parmesan, plus extra, to serve; 1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cooled; 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 Tbsp finely grated lemon rind

Bursting with rich flavours and wholesome ingredients, this delicious meatball minestrone will sooth your soul while delighting your tastebuds.

Featuring chilli basil pesto, the meatballs are made using a blend of pork and veal mince, seasoned to perfection with crushed garlic and fragrant flat-leaf parsley.

The best part is this minestrone soup can be frozen for up to three months in an air tight container.

Looking for more soup recipes?

Ingredients

500g pork and veal mince

2 garlic cloves, crushed, plus extra 2 cloves, crushed

2 Tbsp flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Sea-salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, diced

2 carrots, sliced

2 celery stalks, diced

1 large potato, peeled, diced

1 large zucchini, cut into half moons

2 dried bay leaves

2 Tbsp tomato paste

400g can diced tomatoes

1L chicken stock

400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained

2/3 cup small pasta (such as risoni, small shells or ditalini)

1/2 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped

CHILLI BASIL PESTO

2 cups firmly packed basil leaves, plus extra, to serve

1 long red chilli, roughly chopped

1 cup finely grated parmesan, plus extra, to serve

1/2 cup pecans, toasted, cooled

3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp finely grated lemon rind

Method

Put mince, garlic and parsley in a bowl. Season. Mix well with hands. Roll 2 heaped teaspoons of mince mixture into balls and put on a plate. Cover. Refrigerate until needed.

Heat half of the oil in a large saucepan on medium-high. Cook onion, stirring, for 3 minutes or until tender. Add carrot, celery, potato and zucchini. Cook, stir occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables start to brown. Add extra garlic, bay leaves and paste. Cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Stir in tomatoes and stock. Season. Bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until vegies are almost tender.

Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a large frying pan on medium-high. Cook meatballs in 2 batches for 5 minutes or until browned all over.

Put hot meatballs in soup with beans. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through and vegies are tender.

For Chilli basil pesto, put basil, chilli, parmesan and pecans in a small food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Gradually add oil, pulse until mixture comes together. Stir in lemon rind. Season.

Put pesto in a small, airtight, freezer-safe container. Cover surface of pesto with plastic wrap, then with lid. Cool soup to room temperature, transfer to a large, airtight, freezer- safe container. Freeze soup and pesto for up to 3 months. Thaw soup and pesto in the fridge overnight.

Put thawed soup in a large saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to the boil. Add pasta. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale. Simmer for a further 10 minutes or until meatballs are heated through and kale is tender. STEP 8 Stand pesto for 15 minutes at room temperature. Top soup with pesto, parmesan and basil. Serve.

Kim Coverdale

Ingredients

Method

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