Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

For 6 portions

• 🏺 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 🧅 1 medium onions
• 🥕 2 medium carrots
• 🪴 2 sticks celery
• 🧄 3 cloves garlic
• 🥫 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 🥔 1 medium potato
• 🥒 1 medium courgette
• 🪴 100g green beans
• 🥫 1 can canned tomatoes
• 🫘 1 can (drained) white beans, canned
• 🍆 2 cubes vegetable stock cube
• 🥤 1,400ml tap water
• 🌿 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 🍝 100g macaroni (dry)
• 🥬 100g kale
• 🌿 10g basil
• 🌿 10g parsley
• 🧂 0.5 Tsp salt
• 🌿 0.5 Tsp black pepper

Method

1. Soffritto: finely dice the onion, carrots and celery. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat and cook them gently for 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and sweet but not browned. Add the crushed garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
2. Add the potato, cut into 1 cm dice, and the canned tomatoes, breaking them up with a spoon. Cook for 2–3 minutes.
3. Pour in the water with the crumbled stock cubes (check they're vegan) and add the thyme. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add the courgette, cut into 1 cm dice, the green beans, cut into 2 cm lengths, and the drained, rinsed cannellini beans. Simmer for 8 minutes.
5. Add the pasta (ditalini or small macaroni) and simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then so it doesn't stick, until the pasta is just tender.
6. Strip the kale from its stalks, shred it and stir it in for the last 3 minutes until wilted. Add a splash of water if the soup has become too thick – it should be thick and brothy.
7. Remove the thyme stalks, season with the salt and pepper (the stock is already salty, so taste first) and stir in the fresh basil.
8. Serve in deep bowls topped with chopped parsley and a drizzle of olive oil, with crusty bread. The pasta keeps absorbing liquid, so loosen leftovers with a little water when reheating.