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.
Servings: 4
Preparation time: 40 minutes
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
1 can white beans (eg, cannellini beans), drained
1 cup small pasta, such as macaroni
1 handful fresh parsley, optional
4 cups chicken stock, or mix 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder per cup water
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
