A meal in a bowl

Following my current theme of easy, but nutritious and warming meals, here is another soup but this one has chunkier vegetable pieces than the smooth soups I usually prefer. The vegetables in the recipe are my choices and can easily be swapped for other vegetables that you enjoy, like parsnips and cabbage instead of carrots and kale.

Minestrone traditionally contains meat and pasta, but this one has lots of vegetables, and beans provide some protein.

Minestrone

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 onions, chopped

• 4 carrots, diced

• 2 sticks celery, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 courgette, diced

• 2 large leaves kale, shredded

• 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• 400g tin cannellini beans, drained (could replace with haricot beans)

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tbsp mixed dried herbs

• 2 pints vegetable stock

• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic, and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes

2. Add courgette and kale and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and beans, bay leaves, herbs and stock.

4. Bring to boil, then cover and cook gently for 30 minutes until everything is soft.

Hope this soup warms you in the winter evenings - enjoy the break!