'Nduja Minestrone with Sausage Croutons

'Nduja Minestrone with Sausage Croutons

This one is genuinely something we keep coming back to, especially on cold days when we want something that feels proper comforting but also a bit special. The nduja paste is the star, giving the whole broth this deep, spicy, porky richness that you just can't fake with anything else. Chunky veg, silky tomatoes, and those sausage croutons on top that go slightly crispy and soak up all the soup, it's just perfect. It comes together in about 35 minutes and it honestly tastes like you've been standing over the stove for hours. Make this tonight, you will not regret it.

Cook: 35 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large pot
  • Plant-based sausages cooked according to packet instructions

Ingredients

  • 1 onion
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalks
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 3 sprigs of rosemary
  • 2 tbsp plant-based nduja paste
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 x 400g can of cherry tomatoes
  • 1 litre vegetable stock
  • 1 x 400g can of cannellini beans
  • 200g orzo
  • Salt & pepper
  • olive oil
  • 6 plant-based sausages
  • plant-based parmesan

Method

1

Prepare the veggies

  • Finely dice the onion, carrot, celery and garlic
2

Prepare the Soup

  • In a large pot over medium heat, warm 3 tbsp olive oil. Once shimmering, add the prepped vegetables along with a big pinch of salt and rosemary sprigs. Saute the veggies for 10-15 minutes until soft 
  • Once soft, add the garlic, nduja paste and tomato puree and cook for a couple of minutes 
  • Add the cherry tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes to intensify the flavour
  • Next, add the veg stock and bring to the boil 
  • Once boiling, drain the beans and tip them into the pot along with the orzo and simmer for 10-12 minutes The orzo should be cooked at this point
  • Cook your plant-based depending on packet instructions
3

Serve

  • Remove sausages from the oven and cut into chunks
  • Taste the soup and season to perfection 
  • Ladle between 4 bowls and serve with lashings of plant based parmesan, the sausages and basil

Tips & Variations

  • Make it heartier: We love adding a tin of cannellini beans or borlotti beans when the tomatoes go in. It bulks the soup out and makes it even more filling, proper Tuscan style.
  • Dial up or down the heat: Nduja varies a lot in spice level depending on the brand. Taste as you go and if yours is super fiery, just use a little less and add more tomato puree to balance it out.
  • Crouton tip: Get the pan properly hot before you add the sausage pieces. You want them to get a good colour and a bit of a crust. If the pan isn't hot enough they'll just steam and go soft, which is not what we're going for.

Why This Works

The trick is giving the nduja paste a couple of minutes in the pan with the tomato puree before adding any liquid. That little step unlocks all the spicy, fatty flavour and gets it coating everything. The sausage croutons are a game changer too, don't skip them, they add this crispy, savoury bite on top that takes it from a nice soup to a proper meal.