Hearty Minestrone With Parmesan Crisps

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

100g Waitrose Wholesome Soup Mix (from the beans and pulses shelf)
1 tbsp olive oil
70g pack Waitrose Cubetti Di Pancetta or streaky bacon, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely diced
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
1 courgette, finely chopped
400g can Waitrose Italian Chopped Tomatoes
25g pack fresh basil, roughly torn

For the Parmesan crisps:

100g finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Method:

Soak the soup mix in cold water overnight, then drain and rinse well.
Heat the oil in a large deep saucepan and fry the pancetta for 2-3 minutes, stirring all the time. Add the onion, carrot and celery, and continue to sauté for 4-5 minutes until starting to soften.
Add the courgette, tomatoes, seasoning and 700ml cold water, together with the rinsed beans. Bring to simmering point, reduce the heat, cover, and gently simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until all the vegetables are tender. Check the seasoning and stir in the basil.
To make the Parmesan crisps, preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and heap the grated cheese in 4 rough circles. Bake for 5 minutes until the cheese has melted. Remove from the oven and allow to cool and harden.
Serve the minestrone in bowls, with crusty bread and the Parmesan crisps.

Tips:

Traditional minestrone is made with broken spaghetti. Try adding different pasta shapes, pearl barley, or cannellini beans instead.

Drinks recommendation:

With this soup you need a classy, dry and elegant white.