Spring Minestrone

Trim and discard the roots and any dark green leaves from the leek. Cut the leek in half lengthwise and then slice into half moons. Rinse the sliced leeks well in a colander. Trim the sugar snap peas and cut into ½ inch pieces. Dice the yellow squash into ½ inch pieces. Trim the root ends from the enoki mushrooms. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Chop the dill fronds.

Pat the leeks dry with a paper towel. Place a large pot over medium heat with 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add ¾ of the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans. Add the cannellini beans, vegetable broth packets, French mustard & herb blend, ditalini pasta, and 3 ½ cups water to the large pot. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil for about 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium and simmer soup until the pasta is al dente, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tsp olive oil. Once hot, pull the enoki mushrooms apart a bit with your hands and then add to the skillet. Cook until browned and crisped in places, about 2 to 4 minutes. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.

Cut the ciabatta into 4 triangles. Return the skillet to medium heat with 2 tsp olive oil. Add the remaining sliced garlic and then lay the ciabatta triangles on top of the garlic in the skillet. Cook, flipping once, until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes per side. Sprinkle the garlic toasts with salt.

Halve the lemon. Add the juice from half the lemon to the pot and cut the remaining half into wedges. Stir the sugar snap peas, yellow squash, and chopped dill into the minestrone and season with 1 ½ tsp salt. Divide the spring minestrone into large bowls and top with crispy mushrooms. Serve with garlic toasts and lemon wedges.