Recipe: Green Minestrone with a Charred Jalapeño Salsa
So fresh and so green! {pb*, gf*, nf}
Spring always arrives a lot later in Stockholm. For me it couldn't come sooner after the months of darkness and cold. I've been busy sowing seeds and now May is here I'm hoping I'll be able to move my windowsill seedlings outside (peas, courgette, pumpkin, beans and sweetcorn).
The Swedes love to celebrate good weather (Midsummer being bigger than Christmas). The weekend gone Valborg was a way of doing so. Large bonfires are lit at dusk and people gather to sing and dance around it. At my local one it was great to catch up with the neighbours and other locals after months of cold weather. I only wish I brought some sausages and marshmallows along.
I like to celebrate the beginning of Spring with a vibrant green minestrone-esque soup packed with greens. A top to tail approach to asparagus (no throwing away the tough ends) helps give this nourishing broth a deep flavour. The veg keep their colour and crunch with a gentle quick cook. Please don't leave out the salsa. It really lifts the soup.
Traditional minestrone soup has small bits of pasta instead of chickpeas or butter beans, so feel to switch out if you like. I would recommend cooking the pasta separately and just throwing in at the end (otherwise the veg will be overcooked).