PrintMinestrone Verde with Pistachio Pesto
You can use rice or potatoes instead of pasta for the starch.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
Soffritto
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 medium onions
- 3 medium leeks, white and pale-green parts only
- 3 celery stalks with leaves
- 3 cloves garlic
- Kosher salt
Pesto
- 4 tablespoons raw pistachios
- 2 garlic clove, roughly chopped
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup (packed) basil leaves
- 1 cup (packed) parsley leaves with tender stems
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon white miso
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Soup and Assembly
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 5 cups boiling water
- 4 teaspoons Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base
- 1/2 onion, sliced thin
- 6 ounces sugar snap peas or fresh green beans, trimmed, sliced in 1″ pieces crosswise
- 1 bunch greens (Tuscan kale, golden beet green, dandelion greens, etc.), ribs and stems removed, leaves torn
- 1 14.5 oz. can cannellini (white kidney) or navy beans, rinsed
- 1 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen peas
- 8 oz pasta (like ditalini, farfalle, or orecchiette), cooked according to package instructions
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- Red pepper flakes (for serving)
Instructions
Soffritto
- Place the onions, leeks, celery, and garlic in the bowl of your food processor with cutting blade. Pulse until evenly and very finely chopped. Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high. Transfer minced vegetables from food processor. Season with salt. Cook, stirring often, until soft but not browned, 8-12 minutes.
- Do Ahead: Soffritto can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill, or freeze up to 1 month.
Pesto
- In a dry cast iron skillet, toast pistachios and garlic, tossing frequently, until golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Transfer to food processor (no need to clean from before).
- Pulse pistachios, garlic, nutritional yeast and salt until a course meal. Add basil, parsley, lemon juice, miso, red pepper flakes and 4 tablespoons olive oil. Pulse again until a coarse purée forms. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more lemon juice, salt or pepper as needed. Add more olive oil if pesto is too thick or not smooth enough.
Soup and Assembly
- Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high. Cook 1/2 cup soffritto with nutritional yeast, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Heat 4 – 5 cups water until boiling. Mix Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base into hot water. Add stock to soffritto and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
- Add sliced onions and sugar snap peas or green beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 4-8 minutes. Add beans and peas. Cook another minute or two. Add greens and cook until just wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir in cooked pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
- Serve soup, topped with red pepper flakes and a generous scoop of pesto.
Notes
Soffritto (the Italian word for “under-fried” or “fried slowly”) is the flavor base for many soups, stews, and sauces like Italian wedding soup, ciambotta, and bolognese.
Inspiration:
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/spring-minestrone-verde-with-pistachio-pesto
https://www.cookinglight.com/recipes/minestrone-verde
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/sep/01/how-to-cook-perfect-minestrone-soup
https://food52.com/blog/13078-soffritto-a-not-so-secret-secret-ingredient
https://www.seriouseats.com/2010/04/how-to-make-battuto-italian-cooking-aromatics-carrots-celery-garlic.html
https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/09/how-to-make-minestrone-italian-vegetable-soup.html