Its getting colder again so minestrone soup is always a warming and welcome eat. Minestrone soup is also nice in the summer for a light meal when you can’t be bothered to cook very much. After the vegetable chopping it pretty much looks after itself, simmering gently on the stove top. I’ve used sofrito vegetable and courgette but feel free to mix it up. I really like a handful of chopped potato in this as well – add it in with the stock as it needs a longer cooking time than the pasta.
If you have a gluten intolerent customer which I do sometimes, add pearl barley or buckwheat in place of the pasta. If you haven’t got any tiny pasta to throw in, I just smash up some dried fusilli in a plastic bag with a rolling pin which gives me the pasta bits I need.
Ingredients for 4 – 6 people
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 carrot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 celery stick finely chopped
- 1 courgette finely chopped
- Olive oil to fry the veggies in intially
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 bayleaf
- Tomato puree – squeeze
- Dried oregano 1 teaspoon or so
- Can of chopped tomatoes
- Can of cennelini beans
- 1 ltr of stock – I use hot water and 2 jelly stock pot things
- 70g small pasta/smashed big pasta
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large post. Add the veggies and tomato puree and fry enthusiastically until they are fragrant – should be a few minutes. Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot along with the chopped tomatoes, stock, garlic, oregano and the bay leaf. Cook through for 20 minutes on a low bubble. Then add the pasta and continue to cook for aother 12 minutes or so until the pasta has cooked.
Give it all a good stir to combine and then serve up in bowls which bread and salad. I like to freeze this and take it to work in the week. ( I freeze it so it doesn’t spill and leak all over my bag).
If you like this recipe, you might like my quick cauliflower soup. https://cookingwithfi.com/?s=cauliflower+s