The River Café's Summer Minestrone
6
- Makes10 servings
Ingredients
2 1/4 lbs (1kg) thin asparagus
3 1/2 lbs (1.5kg) fresh peas, in their pods
4 1/2 lbs (2kg) fresh young fava beans, in their pods
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 small head celery, chopped
3 small red onions, peeled and chopped
4 tbsp (60ml) olive oil
1 lb (450g) young green beans, trimmed and chopped
about 4 1/2 cups (1L) chicken stock
1/2 bunch of fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (or marjoram or mint)
1 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream
5 ounces (150g) Parmesan, freshly grated
1/2 cup (120ml) pesto
Instructions
Trim or snap off the tough ends from the asparagus spears, then cut the tips and tender parts into ½-inch (1cm) pieces. Shell the peas and fava beans.
In a saucepan, sauté the garlic, celery and onions gently in the olive oil until soft— about 10 minutes.
Divide the asparagus, peas, fava beans and green beans between two bowls. Add one bowlful to the onion mixture and cook, stirring to coat with oil, for 5 minutes. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Cover with the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the remaining vegetables and cook for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and cream. Stir. Cool to room temperature, then serve with Parmesan and pesto.
Excerpted from River Café London: Thirty Years of Recipes and the Story of a Much-Loved Restaurant by Ruth Rogers, Rose Gray, Sian Wyn Owen and Joseph Trivelli. Copyright © Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray 1995. Published in the United States by Borzoi Books an imprint of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
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