Donal Skehan: spring minestrone drop soup

Spring minestrone drop soup: best served with a dollop of pesto, fresh basil leaves, shaved pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Spring minestrone drop soup: best served with a dollop of pesto, fresh basil leaves, shaved pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
Serves: 4
Course: Main Course
Cooking Time: 0 hr 15 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 2 litres good quality chicken or vegetable stock, hot
  • 150g frozen peas
  • 100g asparagus, trimmed and roughly chopped
  • 8 spring onions, trimmed and sliced in 5cm pieces
  • ½ savoy cabbage, finely shredded
  • 250g pack spinach & ricotta tortelloni
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  •  
  • To serve:
  • Pesto
  • Basil leaves
  • Pecorino cheese
  • Extra virgin olive oil

The real trick to this spring soup is the addition of store-bought tortelloni which gets dropped into the soup just before it’s ready to serve.

Seek out the best quality ones you can lay your hands on and feel free to mix up the choice of greens.

Place a medium pot over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, sauté the onion and celery for 4 minutes until just tender. Add in the stock and bring to a steady simmer.

Add in the peas, asparagus, spring onions and savoy cabbage. Allow to cook gently for 3-4 minutes before adding the tortelloni. Cook for a further 4 minutes until the pasta is cooked and season to taste.

Serve in deep bowls with a dollop of pesto, fresh basil leaves, shaved pecorino cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.