Spring Minestrone Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

50g Pancetta or a knuckle of ham

1 tbsp unsalted butter

3 tbsp olive oil

2 leeks

2 carrots

2 potatoes

3 tomatoes

6 cloves garlic

1 litre water or vegetable stock

1 x 400g tin crushed tomato or tomato passata

1 cup of peas

½ cup broad beans, shelled and peeled

¼ small cabbage, cut into strips 1cm wide

A handful of flat leaf parsley leaves

Grated Parmesan

Method

1. Cut the pancetta into small pieces and place in a deep saucepan with the butter and olive oil. Melt the butter over a medium heat.

2. Rinse and slice the leeks into small chunks and stir into the melted butter. 

3. Stir occasionally as they soften. Peel the carrots and potatoes and cut into a large dice. Add to the leeks and stir in, lowering the heat. Slowly cook until the vegetables soften without colouring. 

4. Peel and crush the garlic, and roughly chop the tomatoes. Stir them in then add the water and tomato passata. If you are using a ham bone, add it to the pot now. 

5. Bring the soup to a simmer, cover with a lid but leave it slightly off-edge to allow steam to escape, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the broad beans, peas and cabbage. Roughly chop the parsley, add to the pot and continue cooking for 15 minutes. Serve with the grated Parmesan.  

Photo: Marty Melville / AFP