Spring Minestrone, bursting with fresh green vegetables, is a lighter take on a hearty classic. It’s perfect for those chillier spring days when you want a little comfort food. The abundance of slightly crunchy vegetables is fresh and appealing, while the chicken broth and cannellini beans add depth and richness of flavour.

The recipe is very adaptable. I had a few leftover stalks of asparagus kicking around in the fridge, so I tossed those in as well.

I made the soup to coordinate with the Bee Skep tureens, and while I was on the bee theme, I whipped up some Honeycomb Buns —soft, tender dinner rolls baked in a Nordicware Honeycomb Pan, glazed with honey and melted butter. A touch of decadence for a very virtuous meal.

Spring Minestrone

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Ingredients

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• 30 ml or 2 tbsp olive oil
• 330 g or 2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced into ½” rounds
• 6 g or 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 250 g or 1 medium fennel, halved lengthwise, core removed, sliced thinly (retain fronds for garnish)
• 2 4 x 1” strips of lemon zest
• Kosher salt to taste
• 950 ml or 4 c chicken stock, preferably homemade, plus 475 ml or 2 c water
• 135 g or 1½ c sugar snap peas in ¼” diagonal slices
• 150 g or 1 c shelled English peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 85 g or 2 c baby spinach, rinsed and drained
• Leaves plucked from 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan or skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the leeks until soft and starting to brown (3 – 4 minutes). Add the garlic, fennel, lemon zest and kosher salt; continue to cook until the fennel begins to soften (3 – 4 minutes).
2. Add the stock and water; increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Add the sugar snap peas, peas, beans and thyme. Simmer until the sugar snap peas are tender (3 – 4 minutes). Add the spinach and cook until it’s just wilted (10 seconds). Adjust the seasonings and serve, garnished with the fennel fronds.

Notes

Adapted Spring Minestrone by Andy Baraghani of Bon Appetit.

• Author: Helen Kain