Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g bacon, chopped
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ½ red chilli, diced
• 1 carrot, peeled & diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 medium potato, peeled & diced
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 200g passata
• 1000ml vegetable stock
• ½ courgette, diced
• 200g macaroni pasta
• ½ tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
• ½ tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• Salt & pepper
• 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
• Parmesan, grated

Method

1. Into a heavy-based saucepan, add the oil and chopped bacon and cook until golden.
2. To this add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, chilli, and garlic and cook for a few
3. minutes.
4. To this add the potato and tomato puree and stir through.
5. Add the vegetable stock, passata, and fresh herbs.
6. Bring to a simmer, turn down and cook 30 minutes.
7. After this time, add the diced courgette and pasta and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
9. Check for seasoning at this point.
10. To serve, spoon into bowls and top with parmesan and chopped parsley.

Source: RTE Lifestyle - Shane Smith

Lunch, Family Classics, Dinner, Appetizers and Snacks, Soup, Winter Warmers