Minestrone

I’ve had this recipe for so long I can’t remember where it came from. I do remember the first time I made it though – I was sceptical, as I have never been a huge fan of soups, so I am always just a little bit more in love with the Italians for creating this fake soup! Minestrone, in it’s chunkiness, is the exception to my household’s ‘no soup for you’ rule. Filled with veg and mucho flavour, it’s taken on somewhat of a cult status! And I personally take it as a challenge to find the cutest soup pasta shapes to keep in the cupboard especially for Minestrone!

2 tbs olive oil
3 rashers bacon, finely diced
1 large brown onion, peeled & finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & roughly chopped
1 large carrot, peeled & diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 zucchini, diced
4-6 button mushrooms, finely chopped
400g can crushed tomatoes
1 litre chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 cup macaroni (or small soup pasta)
400g can cannellini beans, drained
2 large handfuls of baby spinach
½ cup basils leaves, torn
¼ cup flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and fry the bacon until lightly browned and fat is rendered.
Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, zucchini and mushrooms and fry for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
Add the tomatoes, stock and salt and bring to a simmer.
Allow to simmer for 20 minutes, then add the pasta and beans and simmer for a further 10 minutes until the pasta is tender.
Turn off the heat, stir through the spinach, basil and parsley and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Adjust for seasoning.
Serve with crusty bread and a sprinkling of parmesan.

I have given this recipe to a few people over the years, even writing it up and illustrating it as part of a care package once.
It’s such a hearty and simple way of showing love, to serve up a colourful and delicious fake soup!