Minestrone Soup

Of all of my recent recipes, this one was a massive hit at home and with friends abroad. Why? It is incredibly easy and simple enough to whip up without going out to the shops for ingredients. The basis of Minestrone is a tomato soup with pasta and vegetables. I always had a bad impression of this dish. I thought it was quite a dull recipe without potential. I was so wrong. Having now created it myself I realise that it is a versatile and delicious one pot wonder and heart warmer that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes and devoured in less than 5. It’s cheap to make, takes no time at all and there is practically no washing up to be done once you have finished. What more could you want? This one will definitely be found under my affordable meals category.

Traditionally, Minestrone soup has cannellini beans, celery and carrot along with the usual tomato and pasta. I have taken it upon myself to shake things up and swap a few things out and replace it with my own twist. In particular, I think that this recipe has the advantage of providing a skeleton to any delicious creation. I elected to swap cannellini beans out for black beans and chickpeas; removing the celery (because I am not partial to cooked celery) and throwing in a big bunch of kale and capsicum. I sadly had no carrot at the time of making thing but would definitely add it in next time I make Minestrone. What I am trying to get across is that you can make this soup just the way you like it by retaining the base flavours like tomato and switch up the legumes, the pasta style and perhaps replace the kale for spinach. That being said, I fell in love with my version. Each to their own! So, I will provide the skeleton to your very own creation. Here goes…

Ingredients

Serves 5

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 x garlic cloves, minced
• 1 x red pepper, sliced
• 1 x carrot, diced
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tbsp mixed herbs
• 2 x bay leaves
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 x cans diced tomatoes
• 1 tbsp balsamic/red wine vinegar
• 2 cups kale, chopped
• 2 cups spiral egg-free pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic, onion, paprika and herbs. Cook until softened. Add the pepper and carrot and cook until soft. Once softened, add in the canned tomatoes, beans, 2 cups of the stock and pasta.

Place in the bay leaves and vinegar and let boil. Add the final cup of stock as the soup boils down to suit your favourite consistency. Cook until the pasta is al dente, then add the kale to soften it. I advise cutting the ribs of the kale out, but if you like the extra crunch keep it in!

Serve and enjoy!