Chorizo & Broad Bean Minestrone

When the weather is wet and grey (like it was in Melbourne over the weekend) all I crave is comfort food. I personally think the king of all comfort food is soup. What other dish can make you feel like a great big warm hug from within? I swear I can feel my body thanking me for all the vegetable goodness! Nom. I love soup but sometimes it’s just not quite satisfying enough – especially on super chilly days when you’re staaaarving. That’s where a good minestrone comes in. Filled with stodgy beans and pasta it’s hard to come away still feeling hungry.
I decided to give my minestrone a little extra kick with a Spanish winter twist in the form of chorizo and broad beans. The spicy meat flavour permeates through out the whole soup and really gives it a leg-up.
I remember we always had broad beans throughout winter and spring as Dad used to grow a big patch of them in the garden. I’ve always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with them. As a kid I hated having to shell them before dinner (after school I just wanted to kick back and watch Vidiot). I also wasn’t too keen on the pea and ham soup mum used to make with them. BUT I LOVED the bean and potato salad she used to make. Mmm… mum’s salads are the best.
I highly recommend this version of the famous hearty soup, it’s a winner!
x e.
Chorizo & broad bean minestrone
1 tbs olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium (about 150g) carrot, peeled, finely chopped
1 large celery stick, finely chopped
125g chorizo (1 sausage)
1 zucchini finely chopped
2 x 425g can chunky crushed tomatoes
4 cup chicken stock
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 x 400g can cannellini beans, rinsed, drained
60g pasta
100g broad beans
1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and let cook for 3 minutes or until onion softens. Add celery, carrots, chorizo, zucchini and let cook for a further 5 minutes.
2. Add tomato, garlic and stock, and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes or until carrot is tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
That soup looks amazing. Winter in Tasmania seems to be one long stretch of COLD without very much rain and soup is more than a stopgap to fill up on carbs and sustained energy, (a means to an end) it gives so much more than it promises :). Cheers for another lovely post and for giving me the inclination to take the stockpot down from the pantry and envisage my own personal soup journey today :)
I’m glad you liked the recipe! I’m fully aware of how cold Tassie can get during the winter months – I’m Tassie born and bred! Soup always was, still is & always will be a winner in our house.
Nice recipe. Looks delicious.
I also like the below Italian minestrone soup recipe.
http://www.wascene.com/food-drink/italian-minestrone-soup/
Thanks for sharing,
Kelly
Thanks Kelly!