Hearty minestrone soup

A hearty Italian soup, and a great way to include legumes and pasta.

15 minutes preparation + 20 minutes cooking
17 serves of vegies in this recipe

Ingredients

• 1 medium brown onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 425g can crushed tomatoes
• 1 carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 sticks celery, sliced
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and diced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf 4 cups beef stock
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup small pasta
• 6 Brussels sprouts, finely sliced or 1 cup sliced cabbage
• 300g can four bean mix, rinsed and drained

Method

Cook onion and garlic in a large pot with a little water until onion is translucent. Add tomato, carrot, celery, parsnip, tomato paste, bay leaf, beef stock and water. Bring to the boil, add the pasta and simmer for 15 minutes or until tender. Add Brussels sprouts and beans. Cook for a further 5 minutes.

Serves 6.

Variation

Substitute lentils or butter beans for the four bean mix. Spinach or peas are tasty alternatives to Brussels sprouts and cabbage.

Hearty minestrone soup is featured bottom left on photograph.