Winter Minestrone with Cheese and Basil Toasties
By OcadoLife
Published on 17 February 2023
Food writer Sarah Cook’s Winter Minestrone with Cheese and Basil Toasties would make a deliciously light dinner or a hearty, satisfying lunch. The easy crunchy toastie adds a dose of golden, gooey bliss to the classic, veg-filled soup, which is ideal for batch cooking if you’re looking to fill your freezer. Inspired by this recipe? Save the full meal plan now.Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
6Servings
10 minsPrep time
30 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp of olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 2 celery sticks, finely diced
- 1.5 red peppers, diced into 1cm pieces
- 1.5 onions, sliced
- 200 g of parsnips, peeled and diced into 1cm pieces
- 1 (400g) tin chopped tomatoes
- 50 g of tomato purée
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 75 g of farfaline or macaroni (or other small pasta shape)
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 (400g) tin pinto beans
- 100 g of kale, sliced
- 30 g of basil
- 140 g of coarsely grated mature cheddar
- 8 thick slices of white bread
Method
Step 1
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, preferably non-stick. Add the celery, red pepper and onion. Fry over a medium heat for 10-12 mins, stirring occasionally, until the veg is soft and the onion translucent.Step 2
Put the parsnips into a large pan. Add the celery-onion-pepper mixture, the tin of tomatoes, tomato purée, garlic cloves and pasta. Crumble in the stock cube, then use the empty tomato tin to measure in 3 tinfuls of water; bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 10-12 mins, until the parsnips and pasta are soft.Step 3
Drain and rinse the pinto beans; add to the pan. Stir in the kale and simmer for 1 min, to wilt. Season well. Roughly tear half the basil leaves and stir through.Step 4
For the toasties, roughly tear the remaining basil leaves and mix with the cheddar, then divide over 4 slices of the bread; sandwich another 4 slices of bread on top and squash together. Brush the bread with olive oil and pan-fry until golden and the cheese is oozing.Step 5
If you’ve made extra, the soup and the sandwiches (separated with sheets of baking paper) will freeze well for up to 3 months. Use a panini press to toast the sandwiches from frozen, or brush them lightly with olive oil and cook on a baking tray for 10-12 mins at 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6, until golden and the cheese is molten. Defrost the soup for 24-48 hrs in the fridge, or overnight at room temperature, then reheat in a microwave, adding a splash of water if it has thickened up too much. If you don’t have a microwave, reheat on the hob.