Recipe for 4 portions
1. Make garlic-herb butter
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). While the oven heats up, put 3Tbsp of butter in a heatproof bowl and place for 3–4min. into the oven to soften. Then, using a fork, mix the garlic-herb mix and a large pinch of salt into the softened butter. Bring 1.6L water to a boil in a kettle.
2. Bake the bread
Cut slits diagonally along the length of the bread. Fill the slits of the bread with some of the garlic-herb butter and spread the rest on top. Bake on a parchment-lined baking tray for ca. 10min. until the bread becomes crispy.
3. Prepare the ingredients
Meanwhile, zest, then halve and juice the lemon. Finely chop the parsley.
4. Start the soup
Heat up 6Tbsp olive oil in a large pot on medium-low heat. Add the contents of the minestrone soup package and toast it for ca. 30sec. Then add the parsley and ½tsp of salt, reserving some of the parsley for garnishing.
5. Cook the soup
Carefully add the hot water from the kettle and the tinned cherry tomatoes to the pot. Turn up the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a strong simmer. Cook for 13–15min.
6. Slice the bread
Slice the bread. Refine the soup to taste with the lemon zest, juice and salt. Add more water for a more liquid soup, if you want. Garnish the soup with the cheese and the reserved parsley and serve with the bread on the side.