Everyone who loves vegetables will know this old time classic: the Minestrone. Minestrone (pronounced as mee-nay-stro-nay) soup is jam packed with a ton of vegetables This is a wonderful minestrone soup that ‘s filled with tons of vegetables. It’s wholesome, delicious and is a meal practically on its own. There are many variations for this soup but best to choose ingredients you love so do experiment! This gorgeous soup will be a hit at parties or on a rainy night in with a good book in hand.

PREPARATION TIME

20 minutes

COOKING TIME

1 Hour

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4)

• 3 bacon rashers or in our case (minced meat because we’re Asians that way)
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• Half a can of sweet corn kernels
• 2 carrots, peeled, chopped
• 3 celery sticks, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 chicken carcass for stock
• 1 460g can of peeled tomatoes with sauce
• 2 dried bay leaves
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh parsley, for garnish

*You can also add potatoes, kidney beans, zucchini, pasta as well as herbs like basil for more flavour.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.

2. Add the onions, garlic cloves and minced meat then sauté until soft for about 4 minutes.

3. The add the carrots, celery, bay leaves and continue stirring for another 3 to 4 minutes.

4. Meanwhile in another pot, boil the chicken carcass for about half an hour (prior to Step 1)  along with 4 cups of water.

5. Once the stock is ready, pour it into vegetable sauté and pour in the can of tomatoes along with all the sauce in it.

6. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 45 minutes. Add pepper and salt to taste.

7. Ladle the soup into a bowl, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with bread. You can also add parmesan cheese to thicken up the soup and give it a creamy flavour.

Store unused portions in the freezer for later consumption. Now dig into this bowl of healthy tasty goodness!