Stella McCartney's winter minestrone recipe

Stella McCartney
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Stella McCartney's winter minestrone recipe

Don’t be fooled by the name — the character of this thick, wholesome soup is more North African than Italian. It has a lot in common with the European version though, with the couscous playing a similar role to the vermicelli noodles found in many recipes.

At a glance
  • Cuisine African
  • Recipe Type Main
  • Difficulty Medium
  • Preparation time 10 mins
  • Cooking time 50 mins
  • Serves 4 people
Ingredients
  • 200 g (7.1oz) Farro semiperlato (or pearled spelt)
  • 4 tbsp Olive oil, plus extra to serve
  • 1 Large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 Leek, finely chopped
  • 1 Stick celery, finely chopped
  • 2 Medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 Medium turnip, peeled and finely chopped
  • 3 Garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 pinch Crushed dried chilli flakes
  • 400 g (14.1oz) Tinned tomatoes
  • 1 l (1.8pints) Vegetable stock
  • 400 g (14.1oz) Tinned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Bunch cavolo nero, shredded
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 handful Freshly grated vegetarian parmesan to serve

Step-by-step

  1. Rinse the farro in a sieve under cold running water, tip into a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 20 minutes while you prepare the soup base. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped veggies and cook over a low-medium heat for 10–15 minutes until tender but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic and chilli flakes and cook for a further minute.
  2. Pour the tomatoes into the pan, add the stock and bring to the boil. Drain the farro and add to the pan. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook the soup for 25 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the farro is cooked. Add the cannellini beans and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. You may need to add extra stock if the soup is too thick. Add the cavolo nero and cook for 3–4 minutes until tender.
  3. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve in bowls with a drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of grated Parmesan and slices of toasted sourdough bread.

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