5 hours Ago By Phoebe Cornish
The British leek is a fantastically versatile vegetable that adds flavour and bite to any dish. It’s best in April. While it’s a staple in chicken pie, casseroles, and roast dinner sides, according to British chef Mary Berry there’s another way to enjoy this peppery allium.
Sharing one of her seasonal spring recipes, Mary said slicing leeks into a “light and summery minestrone soup” is a great way to “make the most of springtime vegetables”. Drizzled with herby basil pesto, this soup recipe is not to be skipped if you’re seeking a new dish for your home cooking repertoire. Minestrone soup typically includes onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes, legumes such as beans, chickpeas, or fava beans, and sometimes pasta or rice.
Mary’s recipe is a little different. It focuses on springtime veggies and spuds rather than tinned goods. However, you can add a cup of beans, rice, or pasta.
Ingredients Three tbsp olive oil 40g butter Two large onions, finely chopped One leek, halved lengthways and thinly sliced 250g/9oz potatoes, peeled and finely chopped Three sticks of celery, finely chopped 150g/5oz savoy cabbage Two litres of beef or vegetable stock 400g can Italian chopped tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper Two tbsp green basil pesto Start by frying off the onions, leeks and potatoes in a large pan with oil. Cook them for five minutes until starting to soften, stirring occasionally. Add the celery and cook for a few minutes more.
As the vegetables soften, prepare the cabbage by washing it and cutting it in half. Set aside half of the cabbage, discard the central stalk, and slice the rest into quarters. Cut leaves across the wedge shape in short shreds.
Add the stock and one tin of tomatoes to the pan along with the cabbage. Cracked black pepper and a little salt will be fine at this point. Bring everything to the boil and gently simmer for about half an hour.
Add the pesto in the last five minutes of cooking, then check the seasoning to ensure everything is balanced. Adjust as necessary. Serve the soup immediately with crusty bread.
Alternatively, leave it to cool and freeze it in portion-sized containers—it will keep for two months..
