Vegetable minestrone with pesto
A minestrone – sometimes referred to as minestrone soup – is an Italian delight whose name literally means ‘big soup’, and big it is. Not just in size, though we certainly feel that this is not something to be served in meagre portions, but in oomph. In its most basic state, it is packed with tomatoes, vegetables, herbs, pasta and/or beans. It is a brilliant example of what the Italians do so well: humble ingredients, correctly combined and seasoned to make something far greater than the sum of its parts. It is warm, comforting, packed with flavour and is just as effective a crowd pleaser as it is a packed lunch.
This one, by food writer and cook Lucas Hollweg, combines the classic minestrone with a French Provençale soupe au pistou – so named for the pesto-like sauce which can be generously dolloped on top of the soup for added seasoning. It is simple yet utterly delicious.
Wine notes by Anne Tupker, Master of Wine
For the vegetable minestrone with pesto, I propose the dry, unoaked Gabo do Xil Godello 2016 from Telmo Rodríguez (thewinesociety.com; £10.95). Godello, a distinctive grape from Galicia, combines light floral, pear and citrus aromas with a soft mouth-feel – the perfect foil to the freshness and punchy herbs of the soup and pesto.
