Minestrone soup is jam packed with vegetables, pasta and flavour, the flavour intensifies over time so it is even tastier eaten the next day.
It is a very filling meal on a winters day with some nice bread to go with it, so homely and delicious.
Minestrone Soup
Chunky vegetable and pasta soup in a tomato base.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1-2 tsp Garlic chopped or 2 cloves chopped
- 3 Rashers Bacon chopped
- 2 Carrots diced
- 1 Onion diced
- 2 Stalks Celery diced
- 2 Potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 Zucchini diced
- 500 gm Tomato Passata
- 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
- 60 gm Green beans sliced
- 60 gm Peas
- 6 cups Stock (Any) I use vegetable or chicken
- 3/4 Cup Risoni Pasta Rice shaped pasta
- 1 Can Kidney beans rinsed
- 1 Cup Cabbage sliced thinly or baby spinach leaves
- 1 tsp Dried basil or 1/4 cup fresh torn
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan, add onion, bacon and garlic.
- Stir over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until the onion is softened.
- Add celery and carrot fry a further 2 minutes.
- Stir in the passata, tomato paste, stock, potatoes, zucchini, green beans, kidney beans, salt, pepper, basil, bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
- Add the risoni, peas and cabbage or spinach simmer a further 10 minutes.
- Serve with a nice crusty bread.
Notes
Any small pasta shape can be used but I prefer to use risoni as the pasta continues to swell, it is almost like a stew on the second day.
Serve with a tsp of basil pesto dolloped on top to lift the whole dish or a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan.
This soup is a real hearty meal, full of flavoursome vegetables it is very comforting and healthy.