Perrysburg Pulse Magazine Perrysburg Pulse October | Page 19

MINESTRONE Risotto rice & seasonal veg with Parmesan, lemon & garlic pesto I love this minestrone – it feels fresh and electric with the contrasting pesto, while the risotto rice sucks up all the incredible flavor and is extremely comforting. Minestrone has always felt like a wonderful fallback recipe – from my days as a student to being a busy parent, I love reacting to what’s available at the market, growing in the garden, or even the odds and ends hiding in the veg drawer, to create a beautiful bowl of soup. Serves 6 to 8 Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes 2 onions 2 sticks of celery olive oil 600g mixed green veg, such as courgettes, fennel, tenderstem broccoli, asparagus, chard, kale, peas, broad beans 200g Arborio risotto rice 2 litres organic chicken or veg stock Peel the onions and celery, then finely chop both and place in a large pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is a good time to prep your green veg, chopping courgettes and fennel into 1⁄2cm chunks, and finely slicing broccoli, asparagus, chard and kale. Put the veg aside. Stir the rice into the pan for 2 minutes, then pour in the stock. Tie the herbs together and add to the pan. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 15 minutes. CALORIES - 324KCAL FAT - 13G SAT FAT - 3.4G PROTEIN - 16.8G CARBS - 36.9G SUGAR - 6.3G SALT - 0.9G FIBRE - 3.7G Meanwhile, peel the garlic and pound into a paste in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of sea salt. Finely grate in the Parmesan and lemon zest, squeeze in the juice, and muddle in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Stir the veg into the soup and simmer for a final 10 to 15 minutes, ensuring that the veggies retain their vibrancy. Season to perfection, then divide between warm bowls. Finish with spoonfuls of the pesto. 1 mixed bunch of fresh rosemary & thyme (30g) 2 cloves of garlic 50g Parmesan cheese 1 lemon extra virgin olive oil 19