RecipesLunch
Lunch
Loaded Minestrone
Beans, vegetables and small pasta in a broth with a parmesan rind melted through, finished with grated parmesan and parsley. Better on day two.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15min
- Cook
- 45min
- Total
- 60min
Programs: Fat Loss, Muscle Gain, Maintenance, Blood Sugar, Cholesterol

Per serving
- Calories
- 389kcal
- Protein
- 18.9g
- Carbs
- 55.5g
- Fat
- 10.9g
- Fibre
- 9.6g
Ingredients
For 4 servings · MetricUS
- 240gcannellini beansdrained and rinsed
- 240gborlotti beansdrained and rinsed
- 400gchopped tomatoes
- 1parmesan rindone piece
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1onion, diced
- 2carrots, diced
- 2 stalkscelery, diced
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
- 1courgette, diced
- 150gsavoy cabbage, shredded
- 1000mlvegetable stock
- 80gsmall pasta (ditalini or similar)
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1bay leaf
- salt and black pepperto taste
- 30gparmesan, gratedto finish
- handfulfresh parsley, choppedto finish
- 9 ozcannellini beansdrained and rinsed
- 9 ozborlotti (cranberry) beansdrained and rinsed
- 15 ozdiced tomatoes
- 1parmesan rindone piece
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1onion, diced
- 2carrots, diced
- 2 stalkscelery, diced
- 2 clovesgarlic, finely chopped
- 1zucchini, diced
- 5 ozsavoy cabbage, shredded
- 4 cupsvegetable broth
- 3 ozsmall pasta (ditalini or similar)
- 1 tspdried oregano
- 1bay leaf
- salt and black pepperto taste
- 1 ozparmesan, gratedto finish
- handfulfresh parsley, choppedto finish
Method
Build the base.
Warm the olive oil in a large pot over a medium heat.
Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion turns soft and translucent.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the courgette and cook for 2 minutes more.
Add the broth.
Pour in the chopped tomatoes, stock, cannellini beans, borlotti beans, oregano and bay leaf.
Drop the parmesan rind into the pot. It does the savoury work of the whole broth as it softens and melts through.
Simmer.
Bring to a simmer, lid part on, and cook for 20 minutes so the vegetables soften and the broth takes on the parmesan's depth.
Add the cabbage and pasta.
Stir in the cabbage and the pasta.
Simmer uncovered for a further 10 to 12 minutes until the pasta is tender and the cabbage has wilted down.
Season.
Fish out the bay leaf and the parmesan rind (or leave the rind in if it has mostly melted away).
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper. The broth should taste rounded and savoury before you reach for extra salt.
Serve.
Ladle a quarter of the pot per person into deep bowls.
Finish each with grated parmesan and a scatter of parsley.