Green Minestrone with Mint Pesto

Heat up olive oil in a heavy bottom pot. Add shallots, garlic and leeks. Fry them gently, stirring regularly, until shallots are translucent and leeks turn bright green. Add diced carrot, celery and fennel and fry for another two minutes stirring frequently.

Pour in vegetable stock and add about 1 tsp of salt. Bring the stock to a gentle boil.

If you want to shell broad beans for the soup, it’s a good idea to cook them separately. Put them into a small pot of boiling water. Simmer for about 5 minutes, test one and if ready, drain quickly and refresh under a cold tap. If you want to make sure broad beans keep their vibrant colour, prepare a bowl of iced water and plunge them into it straight after draining. Shell and add to the soup at the end.

As for the remaining vegetables, it’s best to cook them in the soup, although the exact timings may vary slightly depending on the size of your produce. Start with new potatoes. Put them into the simmering soup and simmer them for about 6 minutes (they usually take between 10-12 minutes to cook). After 6 minutes add broccoli florets and after another 3 minutes, add asparagus pieces. After another minute, chuck in courgette slices and fresh peas and simmer for a further 2 minutes.

Add in cooked beans and bread beans just to warm them through.

Check the seasoning. Add more salt if needed, a good grind of black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice (go easy if you are serving the soup with pesto, which also contains lemon).

Serve with a dollop of mint pesto and a piece of toasted sourdough bread.

To make mint pesto, crush chopped almonds in a pestle and mortar. Then add garlic and a pinch of salt and pound them until the garlic turns into a paste. Add chopped mint leaves in small batches and a bit of lemon juice to stop the mint from turning brown. Pound each batch until finely minced and finally drizzle in olive oil to emulsify the mixture. Season with pepper, extra salt and lemon juice, if needed.