Spring minestrone with harissa toasts
Minestrone is perfect for a light spring or summer lunch option. Use whatever vegetables or beans you have.
Ingredients
For the minestrone
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- 1 Parmesan rind
- 1 rosemary sprig (or thym)
- 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated and chopped
- 4 asparagus spears, tips removed and reserved
- 150g/5½oz broad beans, podded
- 400g tin white beans, such as cannellini or butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 400g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
- handful black rice (or basmati rice), cooked according to packet instructions and cooled in the fridge
- 1 litre/1¾ pints vegetable stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 150g/5½oz Parmesan, grated, to serve
For the harissa toasts
Method
To make the minestrone, heat the oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, Parmesan rind and rosemary for 5 minutes. Add the white parts of the spring onions and the asparagus spears, reserving the tips. Gently fry for 10 minutes. Add the beans and rice and cook for another 10 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring back to the boil, add the asparagus tips and cook for 3 minutes.
To make the harissa toasts, spread the harissa over the toast and sprinkle over the parsley and green parts of the spring onions. Cut into quarters.
Spoon the minestrone into warmed bowls and sprinkle over the grated Parmesan. Serve with the harissa toasts.
