Spring Minestrone with Mint Pesto

Name: Spring Minestrone with Mint Pesto
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 1 tbsp. olive oil; 6 spring onions, roughly chopped; 1 carrot, roughly chopped; 200 g baby new potatoes, cut into 5mm slices; 1 .25 litre vegetable stock; 200 g baby courgettes, trimmed and sliced; 200 g spring greens, finely shredded (woody stalks discarded); 200 g peas, fresh or frozen; Large handful mint leaves; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 25 g pine nuts, toasted; 25 g mint leaves; 15 g Italian-style vegetarian hard cheese, grated, plus extra to sprinkle; 75 mL extra virgin olive oil

We’re mostly familiar with minestrone in its wintry form, but in Italy, minestrone is made with whatever vegetables are in season. This spring version is packed with greens that go wonderfully with mint. New potatoes give the soup body, but you could use leftover cooked rice or small pasta shapes, if you prefer.

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 02 February 2021

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This healthy soup is a celebration of mint!

An aromatic herb in the mint family, peppermint has soothing effects that are well known to anyone who enjoys a cup of mint tea. It has proven to be an effective remedy for IBS, and with menthol as the main component in peppermint oil, its powers as a decongestant and reliever of cold symptoms are notable. Peppermint also acts as a muscle relaxant and pain reliever so it may also reduce certain types of headache. Peppermint plants can be bought in any garden centre, and are easy to grow in a garden or window box, but these recipes will still be just as delicious made with common mint, the variety sold in supermarkets.

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Yields:

4 serving(s)

Prep Time:

20 mins

Cook Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

40 mins

Cal/Serv:

372

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. olive oil
6 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 carrot, roughly chopped
200 g baby new potatoes, cut into 5mm slices
1 .25 litre vegetable stock
200 g baby courgettes, trimmed and sliced
200 g spring greens, finely shredded (woody stalks discarded)
200 g peas, fresh or frozen
Large handful mint leaves

For the mint pesto

1 garlic clove, crushed
25 g pine nuts, toasted
25 g mint leaves
15 g Italian-style vegetarian hard cheese, grated, plus extra to sprinkle
75 ml extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Step 1Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry spring onions for 2-3min, until softened. Add carrot, potatoes and stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10min, until potatoes are tender.
2. Step 2Meanwhile, whizz all the pesto ingredients and some seasoning in the small bowl of a food processor until almost, but not quite, smooth. Alternatively, bash the dry ingredients with a pestle and mortar before mixing in the oil.
3. Step 3 Add courgettes, spring greens, peas and mint to pan and simmer 5-7min, until tender. Divide between 4 bowls, top each with a spoonful of pesto and a sprinkle of cheese and serve.

Per serving:

Calories: 372
Protein: 11g
Total fat: 25g
Saturates: 4g
Carbs: 22g
Total sugars: 12g
Fibre: 9g

The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time