Tuscan Minestrone With Lemon & Basil

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick with a matching lid) with a generous drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat 

Wash the leek[s] carefully to remove any grit from between the leaves, then top, tail and slice finely

Once the pan is hot, add the sliced leeks with a pinch of salt and cook for 5-6 min or until softened

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ 395°F/ Gas 6

Peel and finely chop (or grate) the garlic

Rip the leaves off the cavolo nero, discard the tough inner stalks, then layer the leaves over each other, roll them up & slice into thin strips

Dissolve 1/2 [1] Knorr vegetable stock cube and the green tomato chutney in 700ml [1.3L] boiled water – this is your soup base

Once the leeks have softened, add 2/3 chopped garlic (save the rest for later!) and cook for 1-2 min or until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the sliced cavolo nero and give everything a good mix up

Add the soup base and macaroni and cook, covered, for 6-8 min or until the cavolo nero has wilted and the macaroni is cooked with a slight bite – this is your Tuscan minestrone

Meanwhile, cut the ciabatta roll[s] into 6 slices

Add the ciabatta slices to a baking tray with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper

Put the tray in the oven for 4-5 min or until golden and crisp

While the ciabatta slices are cooking, strip the basil leaves from their stalks and chop them roughly, discarding the stalks

Grind the chopped basil and remaining chopped garlic (don't like raw garlic? Go easy!) with a pinch of salt in a pestle & mortar to form a smooth paste

Add the juice of the lemon[s] (use half if you don't love the taste of lemon!) and 2 tbsp [4 tbsp] olive oil and mix well – this is your lemon & basil salsa

Tip: If you don't have a pestle and mortar, blitz in a food processor!

Using a peeler, create shavings of the Italian hard cheese

Tip: Grate any leftover cheese and sprinkle this into the soup