Homemade Minestrone Soup

Nothing beats a lovely winter soup this time of year, and this homemade Minestrone from my Veggie 90 Day Plan is an absolute winner.

Quick and easy.
Family friendly.
Good for batch cooking.
Good for freezing.

Ingredients 

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

1/2 onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stick celery, chopped

1 tomato, diced

2 tsp tomato puree (15g)

1 vegetable stock cube

300ml boiling water

80g macaroni or other short pasta

50g sweet potato, diced

80g borlotti beans or kidney beans (drained weight)

80g kale or cabbage, shredded

10g finely grated cheese

Method

Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the onion, carrot and celery and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft. Stir in the tomato and tomato puree, cook for a couple of minutes then crumble in the stock cube. Pour in the boiling water then bring to the boil. Add the pasta and sweet potato and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans and kale and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the pasta and sweet potato are cooked through. Pour into a warmed soup bowl, scatter over the cheese and serve. 

Tips

This recipe is great for batch cooking. Make double or triple the recipe of the sauce (without the cheese) then divide into portions and freeze some for later use.

The best way to freeze this dish is to leave it to cool completely then spoon portions into individual freezer bags. Lay on a tray and freeze flat. By freezing it in a flat sheet rather than a solid block (in a deep plastic container) it’ll defrost far more quickly and also take up less freezer space.