MINESTRONE SOUP
Serves 6, Ready in 30 Minutes
I think minestrone might just be my favourite soup! It’s a humble soup but with the pungency of basil, hearty beans and pasta, it’s one that fills me up far more than other options.
Served with a thick slice of toasted focaccia, this just hits the spot when I need a bit of healthy comfort food.
Some people add pancetta to their minestrone but I keep mine as a vegan friendly version for the evenings where we have plant-based meals. I’m always looking for delicious plant-based dishes so that we stay mindful with our meat consumption. This is a total winner for me!
Ingredients
3x Carrots, finely chopped
3x Celery sticks, finely chopped
1x Large onion, finely chopped
3x Garlic cloves, finely chopped
1x Courgette, finely chopped
3 Bay leaves
1 Tablespoon oregano
Small handful of basil
1 Teaspoon tomato puree
1x tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
1.5 Litres of vegetable stock
1x tin of cannellini beans (250g drained weight)
250g small pasta for soups
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
METHOD
Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and fry the carrots, celery and onion until soft.
Then add the garlic and courgette, season well and fry to soften for a few minutes.
Add the tomato puree, tinned tomatoes and vegetable stock and reduce to a simmer.
Add the bay leaves, oregano and basil (tear this into pieces by hand straight into the pan).
Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.
Add the pasta and beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked.
Serve straight away with a little drizzle of olive oil and a couple of basil leaves.