Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe

This Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe is a hearty and warming recipe, which features smoked pancetta and fresh leeks. It’s the ultimate comfort food lunch, ready in about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe Ingredients

• 50g smoked, streaky bacon or pancetta, derinded and finely chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, washed and finely chopped
• 175g carrots, washed and finely chopped
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 225g leeks, washed and finely chopped
• 175g green cabbage, washed and finely shredded
• 75g shortcut macaroni
• 25g butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1.5 litres good chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 level dessertspoon tomato purée
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1½ tablespoons fresh torn basil
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• To serve: Lots of grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano)

How To Make Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe

1. Sauté the base: First heat up the butter and oil in a large saucepan. Add the chopped bacon or pancetta and cook this for a minute or two to render the fat. Add the onion, followed by the celery, carrots, and then the tomatoes.
2. Sweat the vegetables: Stir in the crushed garlic and some salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook very gently for 20 minutes or so. This allows the vegetables to “sweat” and release their sweet flavors without browning. Give it an occasional stir to prevent sticking.
3. Simmer the stock: Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently (covered) for about 1 hour.
4. Prepare the leeks: While the soup simmers, prepare the leeks. Take the tough green ends off and discard. Make a vertical split about halfway down the center of each one. Clean them by running them under the cold water tap while fanning out the layers to rid them of hidden dust and grit. Finely chop them.
5. Add pasta and greens: When the hour is up, stir the chopped leeks, shredded cabbage, macaroni, and tomato purée into the stock. Cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender.
6. Finish and serve: Finally, stir in the chopped parsley and torn basil. Serve the minestrone in warmed soup bowls, sprinkled generously with grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe Tips

• Sweating is Key: Do not rush step 2. Cooking the vegetables gently in the butter/oil mixture for 20 minutes before adding the liquid is the secret to developing a deep, sweet flavor base that distinguishes a good minestrone from a watery one.
• Cleaning Leeks: Leeks trap dirt between their layers as they grow. Splitting them and washing them under running water is the only way to ensure you don’t get gritty soup.
• Pasta Choice: “Shortcut” macaroni is ideal because it cooks quickly and fits on the spoon. If you have regular macaroni, you might want to cook it slightly longer. You can also use other small shapes like ditalini or small shells.
• Pancetta vs. Bacon: Pancetta adds a more authentic Italian curing flavor, but smoked streaky bacon provides a wonderful smoky depth. Use whichever you can find, but ensure it is finely chopped.
• Tomato Prep: To peel the tomatoes easily, score a small ‘X’ on the bottom, plunge them into boiling water for 10 seconds, then into ice water. The skins will slip right off.

What To Serve With Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe

This soup is a meal in itself, but some bread is essential for mopping up the broth.

• Crusty Ciabatta or Italian bread
• Garlic bread
• A simple green salad
• Extra shavings of Parmesan cheese

How To Store Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe

• Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. The pasta will absorb more liquid as it sits, so the soup will be thicker the next day.
• Reheat: Reheat gently on the stovetop. You may need to add a splash of water or stock to loosen the soup if the pasta has soaked up the broth.
• Freeze: While you can freeze minestrone, pasta and potatoes (if added) tend to get mushy when thawed. For best results, freeze the soup base before adding the pasta and cabbage, then add those fresh when reheating.

Delia Smith Minestrone Soup Recipe Nutrition Facts

• Calories: 280
• Total Fat: 14g
• Saturated Fat: 6g
• Cholesterol: 25mg
• Sodium: 850mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 28g
• Dietary Fiber: 6g
• Sugar: 6g
• Protein: 12g

Nutrition information is estimated per serving (based on 4 servings).

FAQs

Try More Recipes:

• Delia Smith French Onion Soup​ Recipe
• Delia Smith Celery Soup​ Recipe
• Delia Smith Cauliflower Soup​ Recipe