It’s a cold winter night and you want something to warm you up from the inside out. We have just the recipe for you! This soup is rich in flavour and brimming with an abundance of nutrients for best health.
Ingredients
1 clove of garlic
1 red onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
1 zucchini
1 small leek
1 large potato
1 x400 g tin of cannellini beans
1x400g red kidney beans
4xrashers of short cut bacon
Olive oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 fresh bay leaf
2 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
1 litre organic vegetable stock – Salt reduced if possible
1 bunch of kale de-stemmed
100 g wholemeal pasta
½ a bunch of fresh basil , optional
Parmesan cheese
Method:
Peel and finely chop the garlic and onion. Trim and roughly chop the carrots, celery and zucchini. Finely slice leek horizontally, then add ALL the vegetables to a large bowl.
Scrub and dice the potato. Drain the cannellini beans and red kidney beans, then set aside.
Finely slice the bacon.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry gently for 2 minutes, or until golden.
Add the vegetables, oregano and bay leaf and cook slowly for about 15 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened, stirring occasionally.
Add the potato, beans and plum tomatoes, then pour in the vegetable stock. Stir well, breaking up the tomatoes with the back of a spoon.
Cover with a lid and bring everything slowly to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through.
After 30 minutes, add the greens and pasta to the pan, and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente (soft enough to eat, but still firm) Try some just before the time is up to make sure you cook it perfectly.
Add a splash more stock or water if needed.
Pick over the basil leaves (if using) and stir through. Season with sea salt and black pepper, then serve with a grating of Parmesan and a slice of home made garlic bread (essentially olive oil margarine, couple of cloves crushed garlic smothered between pieces of a sourdough cobb loaf from the bakery and baked for 15 minutes on 180 degrees in foil in the oven)
Nutrition
Great source of prebiotic fibre to support gut function
Rich source of Vitamin A to maintain healthy skin
Rich source of vitamin C to support immune function
