Minestrone soup

Try this South African twist to the old Italian family favourite of minestrone soup.

After all, as the nights are drawing in and the weather turns chilly, it’s time to think of a hearty pot of soup for supper.

The Italian favourite of minestrone is easy and delicious, and is a meal in itself.

If you are short of time when you get home from work, start the prep the night before, and just add the pasta and green leaves the evening you will be serving this.

This recipe serves eight.

Ingredients

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
1 large potato
1 x 400g tin of beans of your choice: red kidney beans, sugar beans or white cannellini beans are all good
oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 bay leaves
2 x 400g tins of tomatoes
1 litre stock
100g macaroni or pasta of your choice
1/4 cabbage and/or 6-8 large spinach leaves
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese to serve (optional)

Method

Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Trim and roughly chop the carrots and celery then add the vegetables to a large bowl.

Scrub and dice the potato. Drain the beans, then set aside. Roughly chop the tomatoes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

Add the garlic, onion, carrots, celery, oregano and bay leaf and fry gently for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally.

Add the potato, beans and tomatoes, then pour in the stock.

Cover with a lid and bring everything slowly to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through.

Remove and discard any tough stalks or bits from the greens, then finely slice into ribbons.

Add the greens and pasta to the pan, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente.

Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper, then serve topped with a grating of Parmesan cheese.

To make this a more filling meal, serve with a slice of ciabatta bread.