Leek and apple minestrone with crispy Parma ham
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Ant Duncan
Leek and apple minestrone with crispy Parma ham
Recipe by Annie Bell
This tasty apple and leek minestrone soup in stopped with Parmesan and crispy Parma ham
Serves: 4
Prep time: 40 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
299Kcal
Fat
13gr
Saturates
6gr
Carbs
25gr
Sugars
15gr
Fibre
10gr
Protein
14gr
Salt
0.7gr
Annie Bell
Annie started her career as a chef, and is now an award-winning food writer who has written more than a dozen cookbooks. Her recipes are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
Annie Bell
Annie started her career as a chef, and is now an award-winning food writer who has written more than a dozen cookbooks. Her recipes are always as beautiful as they are delicious.
Ingredients
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 echalion shallots, thinly sliced
- 600g leeks (trimmed weight), thinly sliced
- 2 eating apples, peeled, cored and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 150ml dry cider
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 900ml vegetable stock - use gluten-free if required
- 100g spring greens, finely sliced
- 250g cooked green lentils, drained and rinsed
To serve
- 4 slices Parma ham (or similar, eg speck)
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 20g finely grated Parmesan
Step by step
Get ahead
The soup can be frozen.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat, add the shallots and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the leeks and a pinch of salt and continue to fry for 5 minutes, then stir in the apple and garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes until everything is softened.
- Add the cider and vinegar and simmer to reduce by half. Pour in the stock with some seasoning, bring to the boil, cover, and cook over a low heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the greens and lentils, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Heat a frying pan over a high heat (no fat). Add the ham and fry to crisp up. Cool slightly, then break into pieces. Serve topped with the ham, parsley and Parmesan.
