Hearty Minestrone

Serves: 6-8|Prep: 50 min

This soup is a hearty tummy filler and it’s packed with immune-boosting ingredients, making it perfect for a cold winters day or evening. Soup also makes for a delicious thermos school lunch. You can substitute the pasta with brown rice, quinoa or simply leave it out.

Ingredients

Method

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 brown onion, minced
½ leek, finely sliced
2 sticks of celery, finely sliced
1 medium carrot, cubed
1 large zucchini, cubed
1 small sweet potato, cubed
1 cup of brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1x 14 oz Can Of Organic Chickpeas, Rinsed And Drained
26 oz bottle of Tomatoes (diced, puree or crushed)
½ tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 Liter Organic Vegetable Stock
3 oz or 1 cup Wholemeal Pasta Spirals (Spelt, Rice Or Buckwheat)
1-2 cups of kale, shredded
Sea salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
Toppings (optional):
Fresh basil
Parmesan cheese

1.	Heat olive oil in a large pot.
2.	Add garlic and onion and sauté for 1–2 mins or until softened.
3.	Add leek, celery, carrot, zucchini, sweet potato and Brussel sprouts and cook for 2–3 mins.
4.	Add chickpeas, diced tomatoes, herbs and stock and bring to the boil. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables have softened.
5.	Add pasta and kale and cook for a further 10 minutes or until pasta is al dente.
6.	Season with salt and pepper and serve with some fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese on top.

Tip:

Use seasonal vegetables of any sort to mix it up a bit, for example, green beans, fennel, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, peas etc. You can swap the chickpeas for white beans such as cannellini beans or try using quinoa or brown rice instead of pasta. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 4 months.