Winter minestrone with pesto croûtes

• olive oil↗ tbsp
• onion↗1

  chopped

• unsmoked lardons↗100g g

  or chopped streaky bacon

• large carrots↗2

  chopped

• sticks celery↗2

  chopped

• medium potato↗1

  chopped

• garlic cloves↗2

  finely chopped or crushed

• can chopped tomatoes400g g
• vegetable stock↗1l l

  (from granules or a cube)

• chopped sage tsp

  leaves, or 1 tsp dried

• cabbage

  leaves, shredded

• can haricot bean↗400g g
• handful chopped parsley
• slices of crusty bread
• olive oil↗ tbsp
• 1 tbsp pesto↗

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the onion and lardons or bacon and fry for about 5 mins until the onion is starting to brown. Tip in the carrots, celery, potato and garlic, stir well and cook for a few minutes.

2. 2

   Add the tomatoes, stock and sage, and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce heat to simmer and cook partly covered for 30 mins, stirring in the cabbage after 15 mins. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pan with the parsley. Season and serve with pesto croûtes, see right, or crusty bread.

3. 3

   For the pesto croûtes: Cut 3-4 slices of crusty bread into chunks, about 2cm thick. Tip into an ovenproof pan. Mix the olive oil and pesto, then add to the bread, tossing it with your hands until the croûtes are evenly coated. Bake in a moderate oven for about 10 mins until crisp.