Minestrone Soup with a pesto sauce

This Italian soup is the most delicious way to get vegetables fix for the day before with pasta

Servings for 10 persons Preparation Time: 15 min Cooking time: 40min

Ingredients are dosed per cup

2 cups Extra Fusilli or other remained pasta
8 cups chicken broth diced
6 cloves garlic minced
2 tomatoes
2 leeks light green and white part, sliced
2 celery stalks sliced
3 bay leaves
2 cups of eggplant diced
1 cup carrots
1 cup beans cooked
1 cup cabbage chopped
½ cup parsley
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme fresh minced
¼ cheese grated
Salt, pepper
For the pesto:
2 cloves garlic
¼ grated cheese
Parsley
Olive oil
Salt

Preparation:

1. To make the Soup:
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot.
3. Add leeks, 6 cloves of garlic, celery, carrots and bay leaves. Cook for about 10 minutes until vegetables are softened.
4. Pour the chicken broth, the tomatoes, the beans and then the diced eggplant.
5. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes.
6. Add cabbage, thyme and pasta and simmer with lid on for about 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta.
7. To make the pesto:
8. Mix and puree parsley, basil, remaining 2 cloves of garlic, the cheese, olive oil and salt in food processor or blender.
9. Serve each bowl of soup with a teaspoon of pesto on top.

Extra Tips:
You can add leftover pieces of meat or chicken to the minestrone soup