Homemade Vegetable Minestrone Soup

As the weather cools down we find ourselves reaching for warm and comforting dishes. This traditional homemade vegetable minestrone soup is low in fat and calories, yet jam packed full of goodness.

The cannellini beans in this recipe are a great source of plant based protein while the whole grain pasta is low GI, providing a slow release of energy.

Feel free to add in a portion of chicken per person if you’d like to include an extra protein serving.

The table below shows the amount of food group serves per personal portion of this recipe.

Ingredients

• 500ml vegetable stock
• 2 tins (800g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 courgette, chopped
• 240g kidney beans
• 1 cup green beans, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 280g wholegrain cooked macaroni pasta (or use another small pasta shape such as small shells)

Directions

1. First, place the vegetable stock in a large pot, then add in the diced tomatoes, basil, cannelleni beans, oregano, carrots, celery, onion, courgette, green beans, garlic and the bay leaf.
2. Slowly bring the soup to a low simmer and allow to cook over very low heat for at least 30 minutes and, or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. If you would like to add an extra protein serve, some torn up chicken breast can be added at this point too.
3. Add the salt and pepper and the macaroni pasta and bring the heat up a bit to a medium low. Allow to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Enjoy your easy homemade vegetable minestrone soup!