Winter can make it tough to get fresh vegetables into your diet, but an Italian classic can help you to eat healthy, seasonably, and affordably. Carrots, potatoes, celery and kale are cheap during the winter and this makes minestrone a great choice if you’re after an affordable nutritious meal. The trick is what’s known as a “soffritto”, a base of onion, carrot and celery cooked low and slow until soft and sweet. Making a soffritto takes a bit of time on the stove, but if you put love into the base, the rest of the soup will taste fantastic. From there it is just a case of adding potato, some pantry staples like tinned tomatoes, a can of mixed beans and stock. Kale goes in right at the end so it stays vibrant rather than turning to mush. Finish with a very generous grating of cheese, whether that is parmesan or whatever you have in the fridge. It is cheap, filling and a great, warming dinner. Classic Minestrone Soup Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 minutes | Cook: 40 minutes Ingredients 3 tbsp olive oil 1 onion, finely diced 1 ½ carrots, finely diced 2 sticks celery, finely diced 4 garlic cloves, sliced 1 sprig fresh rosemary, removed from the stalk and finely chopped 2 rashers bacon, chopped (optional) 1 tbsp tomato paste 1 potato, peeled and cubed 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 × 400g tin mixed beans, drained and rinsed 600ml-700ml chicken or vegetable stock 3 stems kale, stalks and leaves separated and chopped 150g orzo pasta (optional) Salt and pepper Parmesan (or any other cheese, grated, to serve) Method Heat the oil in a large pot over low to medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and rosemary. Season and cook gently for 10-15 minutes until soft and starting to turn golden. Add the bacon if you are using it and cook for two to three minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Add the potato, tinned tomatoes, beans, and stock. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potato is tender. If using orzo, stir it in now and cook for a further eight to 10 minutes. Add the kale stalks first and cook for three minutes, then the leaves and cook another two to three minutes until wilted. Ladle into bowls and finish with a generous grating of cheese. Serve with crusty bread.
