Winter Ligurian Minestrone

parmesan cheese

🥗Healthier: nutritional yeast

💰Cheaper: grated pecorino

Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor while being dairy-free.

Heat a pan to medium-high heat.

Prep the leeks by cutting them in half and then quartering them, keeping them relatively chunky.

Add olive oil to the pan and season with salt and pepper to help release moisture from the leeks.

Add diced celery and season again with salt and pepper.

Add diced carrots and season with a tiny bit of salt.

Add diced parsnip and season.

Add canned cannellini beans and borlotti beans, straining them first.

Add enough water to cover the vegetables and bring to a boil.

Prep the group one vegetables: peel and dice the potato and pumpkin, adding them to the pot with more water to cover.

Bring back to a boil, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to medium-low to simmer for ten minutes.

Prep the group two vegetables: remove kale leaves from stalks and tear into bite-sized pieces, and cut savoy cabbage into bite-sized pieces after removing the core.

After ten minutes, add group two vegetables to the pot, adding water as needed but not fully covering the cabbage.

Bring back to a boil, cover with a lid, and simmer for another ten minutes.

Check the thickness of the minestrone; it should be thickened from the beans and potatoes, with vibrant vegetables still having a bite.

Turn off the stove and plate the minestrone, adding a touch of pesto Genovese on top.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens