Minestrone Soup

With the weather turning cooler here in Canada, I thought some comfort cooking was in order.

This soup is hearty and stick-on-your-ribs good, without actually sticking on your ribs. The best part about this recipe is that my boys adore it. My eldest, James, actually stands near me while I prepare it so he can steal carrot and celery off the chopping board. Yes, I know shocker, he likes raw veg.

Minestrone Soup




1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 carrots, peeled & diced
2 sticks celery, sliced
2 potatoes, peeled & diced
1.5 litres vegetable stock (see note below)
1 can italian tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
4 zucchini, sliced
1 cup farfalle (bowties) pasta (or other)

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, garlic, carrot and celery. Stir over medium heat until the onion is soft.
2. Add the potatoes, stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and basil. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
3. Bring to the boil again, then add the zucchini and pasta and boil until the pasta is cooked, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat and season to taste.

Note: I use my own homemade stocks, I make large batches and freeze them in smaller containers.