Sunday night minestrone

Name: Sunday night minestrone
Cook time: 1 h
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 large ham hock; 1 onion, sliced; 1 carrot, peeled and sliced; 1 celery stick, sliced; Fresh herbs

CAROLINE VELIK

October 18, 2011

Time:30 mins - 1 hour

This is our weekend staple during the colder months. It's also a great way to use leftover vegetables and pasta.

Ingredients

Stock

1 large ham hock
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 celery stick, sliced
Fresh herbs

Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
1 leek, sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1.5 litres homemade ham stock
400g tin diced tomatoes
400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
75g tubetti pasta, cooked al dente
1-2 cups shredded ham from the hock
Fresh basil pesto to serve

Method

For the stock, place ingredients in a stock pot, cover with water and cook over a low heat for a few hours (the ham is quite salty so extra salt is not needed). Strain the stock through a colander. Keep the hock, shred the ham and set aside.
For the soup, heat oil in a large pot, add vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Add stock and tomatoes and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add beans, pasta and ham and heat through.
Remove from heat, ladle into deep bowls, add a spoonful of basil pesto and serve.