Classic Minestrone Soup Con Pesto Alla Genove
Submitted by Leonacw
A vegetable-loaded Italian minestrone with eggplant, beans, spinach, cabbage, and pasta, finished with a swirl of homemade pesto alla Genovese. Rustic, hearty, and full of garden-fresh flavor.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
25 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsThis is minestrone the way they make it on the Ligurian coast, where a generous dollop of pesto turns a humble vegetable soup into something extraordinary.
The pot starts with sauteed onions, leeks, carrots, celery, and potatoes, then builds with dried beans, eggplant, tomatoes, and broth. After an hour of simmering, in go the greens: cabbage, spinach, and zucchini, plus a handful of pasta to make it a proper meal.
The finishing touch is a bright, fragrant pesto made from fresh basil, garlic, pine nuts, Parmigiano, and olive oil, stirred right into the bowl.
Chef Tips
- Make the pesto while the soup simmers. The flavors are brightest when it’s freshly blended and stirred in at the very end, never cooked.
- Soak your dried beans overnight and parcook them before adding. They should be tender but still hold their shape.
- This soup tastes even better the next day. Make a double batch and you’ve got lunches sorted for the week.
- Any short pasta works here: ditalini, elbows, or broken spaghetti.
Ingredients
Directions
In olive oil, sauté until soft the onions, leeks, carrots, celery, and potatoes.
Add dry beans, eggplant, and cook down.
Add chicken broth, water, salt, pepper, tomatoes and cook for about 1 hour covered.
Add cabbage, spinach, zucchini.
Add pasta. If too thick add more chicken broth.
When done add pesto sauce.
Pesto Sauce: Blend together the basil, garlic, a dash of cheese, nuts, and olive oil.
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