Green Minestrone

Green Minestrone

This green minestrone is one of those soups we keep coming back to, especially when we want something that feels both light and properly filling at the same time. It's packed with beautiful green veg, a silky broth, and finished with a herby mint and parsley pesto that just lifts the whole thing. Every spoonful has something going on, tender beans, sweet carrot ribbons, and little pops of mangetout. Honestly, it tastes like spring in a bowl and it's the kind of thing that makes you feel genuinely good after eating it. Make a big pot tonight, you'll be glad you did.

Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Blender
  • Microplane or fine grater

Ingredients

  • 25g mint
  • 25g parsley
  • 50g pistachios
  • 100ml extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp Nooch
  • 1 lemon
  • Pinch of salt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion
  • 1 celery stick
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ¼ tsp chilli flakes
  • 170g orzo
  • 1 ½ litre vegetable stock
  • 200g green beans
  • 100g mangetout
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 200g baby spinach
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 lemon
  • 50g plant-based parmesan

Method

1

Prep the veg

  • Dice the onion and thin slice the celery
  • Grate the garlic
  • Trim and roughly chop the green beans
  • Trim the mangetout
  • Peel the carrot into ribbons
  • Juice the lemon
2

Make the pesto

  • Pick the mint and parsley leaves
  • Zest and juice the lemon
  • Place all the pesto ingredients in a blender and blend to a chunky pesto
  • Season to taste with salt
3

Make the base

  • Heat the olive oil in a deep pan over a medium heat
  • Add the onion and celery and cook for 8 minutes until softened
  • Add the garlic and fry for few minutes
  • Pour in the veg stock and bring to a simmer
  • Add the orzo and cook for 5 minutes then add the green beans, mangetout and peas and cook for another 5 minutes until the veg are cooked
  • Stir through the carrot ribbons and spinach to wilt
  • Season to taste with the lemon
4

Finish and serve

  • Finely grate the parmesan
  • Divide the minestrone between bowls
  • Swirl through the pesto and finish with the parmesan to serve

Tips & Variations

  • Add some pasta or grains: We love throwing in a small handful of small pasta shapes like ditalini or even cooked pearl barley to make it extra hearty. Just add them in with the broth and let them cook through.
  • Make the pesto your own: If you don't have mint, just use all parsley and add a little extra lemon zest to keep it bright and zingy. It works brilliantly either way.
  • Season as you go: Minestrone really benefits from seasoning at each stage. Taste the broth before you add the pesto and again after, a good pinch of salt at the right moment makes a huge difference.

Why This Works

The real magic here is that homemade mint and parsley pesto stirred through at the end. It keeps everything tasting fresh and vibrant rather than just like a standard vegetable soup. We also love peeling the carrot into ribbons instead of chunks, it cooks quickly and gives you these beautiful little silky strips that make the whole bowl look and feel a bit special.