Fast minestrone soup

Minestrone is a complete meal in a bowl. If you have vegetables in the freezer and cans of tomatoes and beans in the cupboard, this soup is a fast family meal for only $3.32 per person.

Cooking directions

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, garlic and bacon until soft on a medium heat.
• Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
• Add the beans, frozen vegetables, pasta and parsley and simmer for another 10 minutes until pasta is tender.
• Stir frequently to avoid sticking to the pan.
• Taste and add pepper and a little salt if required.

Try:

• Adding crushed garlic when you fry the onion and bacon.
• Using any fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand - courgettes, capsicum, carrot and celery.
• Leaving out the bacon if you don't have any handy or if you are vegetarian.
• Using red kidney beans instead of white beans.
• Adding 2 cups chopped cabbage. Add at the same time as pasta.

Photo courtesy of vegetables.co.nz

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 bag frozen stir-fry vegetables, (look for mixes with beans, courgettes, red pepper, etc)

2 rashers lean bacon, fat removed and chopped

2 cans chopped tomatoes (410g can)

1 can white beans (eg, cannellini beans), drained

1 cup small pasta, such as macaroni

1 handful fresh parsley, optional

4 cups low-salt chicken stock, or 4 cups water with 3 teaspoons stock powder