Rustic Italian pasta and bean soup

This chunky soup brings together the best of Mediterranean flavours

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30 minutes
Serves 2
3 of 5 a day

Nutrition: Per serving

Kcal189
Fat3.5g
Salt1.1g
Sugar12.7g

Recipe by: World Cancer Research Fund | cancer and nutrition experts

By making your own soup, you can control the ingredients you use and be sure your soup is full of goodness – and lower in fat, salt and sugar than most tinned versions.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 small onion, diced
½ medium carrot, diced
1 stick celery, finely chopped
½ small red pepper, diced
½ small courgette, diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 x 227g can chopped tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato purée
½ teaspoon sugar
Bay leaf
½ teaspoon dried mixed herbs
600ml reduced-salt vegetable stock
30g small wholemeal pasta shapes
50g canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
50g baby leaf spinach
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon grated parmesan
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Method

Place the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently. Add the onion, carrot, celery, red pepper, courgette and garlic. Cook on a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring from time to time.
Add the chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar, bay leaf, mixed herbs and stock to the pan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat then simmer gently for 8 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Add the pasta and drained beans, then bring back to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring from time to time until the pasta is just cooked. Stir in the spinach and season with black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, remove the bay leaf and ladle the soup into bowls. Stir in the parmesan and lemon juice, then serve immediately.