WINTER MINESTRONE SOUP
A warming soup using seasonal veg
Equipment
- chopping board or use a plate
- Sharp knife
- Large lidded pan
- Measuring jug
Ingredients
Soup
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 medium carrots chopped
- 4 celery sticks chopped
- 1 small swede (or turnip if from 'up North!') about 200g, scrubbed and chopped (only peel if large)
- 1 garlic clove crushed (or use 1 tsp garlic paste)
- 1 tbsp dried oregano optional
- 400 g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 litre hot vegetable stock
- 1 large handful small pasta shapes e.g. orzo or even broken spaghetti
- 400 g can butter beans or cannellini beans
- 200 g chard leaves (or leafy greens) chopped, including stalks
To finish
- parmesan cheese grated, optional (you can also use a mature cheddar)
- Crusty bread
Instructions
- Prepare all of the vegetables.
- Add the oil to a large pan and heat. Stir in the onion, carrots, celery and swede, turn the heat to medium then cover, stirring every now and then. Cook until softened slightly without colouring (about 10 - 15 mins).
- Stir in the garlic, oregano (if using) and chopped chard stalks, stirring to coat all of the vegetables. Pour in the can of tomatoes, half fill the can with water, swill to get the tomato residue and add this. Pour in the stock and pasta, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to simmer the soup.
- After simmering for 10 mins, stir through the chard leaves and butter beans and cook for a further 5 mins.
- Serve finished with a grating of parmesan, if wished and crusty bread.
Notes
Our website automatically adds my name as the author, and although I wrote this up, I can't claim this as my own, so all credit goes to my daughter and one of our directors; Talia Iceton.