Minestrone soup

We all get carried away with buying all those vibrant veggies at the supermarket, especially when they are on offer..if this is you, more likely than not, you have had a surplus of fresh vegetables and not enough time in the week to eat them at their peak. Soups are perfect for bringing new life to vegetables that have been sitting in the fridge for a while,  feeling all neglected and  purposeless. 

This is just something I knocked together with my surplus veggies, You can use up pretty   much whatever you have in the fridge, and have a different minestrone every time!

As a general rule, I like to use a mixture of strong flavours such as onion/leek, garlic and celery, a variety of root veg for some body and texture, leafy greens for  nutrition and some herbs (my favourite are parsley and basil, but coriander  could work as well).

 INGREDIENTS

1/2 leek

1 large potato

1 small sweet potato

1 carrot

1 stalk of celery

1 large clove of garlic

1 cup cavolo nero (black kale)

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 cup spinach (you can use frozen as well)  

2 tbsp fresh parsley

2 tsp  dry basil (or a handful of fresh basil leaves)  

Salt, pepper and olive oil to taste      

Optional (These ingredients will turn your soup from a side dish to a complete meal)   

1 cup cooked brown lentils or any legumes of your choice 

1-2 cups of cooked whole grains (you can use small pasta shapes, millet, rice, but my personal favourite in winter is barley)

METHOD

1. Slice and chop all your veggies into small chunks.Place the veggies in a large heavy bottomed pan in the following order:

-Leafy veggies, onion, garlic and tomatoes at the bottom, root veggies at the top. 

-Add half a cup of  water, then parsley, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and simmer at the lowest heat possible for 30 minutes. 

2.Now is a good time to start cooking your barley, as it will take around 50 minutes to one hour to be ready. 

3.After 30 minutes, check the progress of the veggies by piercing a piece of carrot or potato with a fork. It should be tender but not mushy. 

4.Now you can add the lentils and another half cup to a cup of hot water and cook for another 30 minutes. You will have to assess how much water is needed, as this could vary greatly. It is also up to you whether you prefer a thicker soup or a more liquid one. If you do add a lot of water I would suggest adding some vegetable stock to it, as the water will dilute the flavours. 

5.After 30 minutes have passed, taste the soup for seasoning and adjust according to your taste (remember, a bit of salt is your friend and will bring out the flavour of your ingredients) chop and add the fresh basil. This herb is easily spoiled by heat, so I like to add it at the very end of the cooking. 6.Add the barley or other grain directly in your bowl at the time of serving, and top with some extra virgin olive oil to complete the dish.

I like storing any  leftover soup and grains in separate  containers, as  the grains will continue to absorb water from the soup and by the time you reheat it they will turn it into into a mushy mess!   

If you try this recipe, make sure you head over to my Instagram and leave me a comment!