Winter vegetable minestrone

Filling and bursting with seasonal veggies and aromatic herbs

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25 minutes
Serves 2
4 of 5 a day

Nutrition: Per serving

Kcal319
Fat4.1g
Salt0.9g
Sugar16.5g

Recipe by: Daria Crepostnaia | Nutritionist

Eating a rainbow of fruit and vegetables every day helps protect against cancer – and this delicious vegetable soup recipe contains 4 of your 5 A DAY portions in one bowl.

Ingredients

100g dried wholewheat pasta
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1 stick celery, cut into bite-size cubes
1 large carrot, cut into bite-size cubes
1 small parsnip, cut into bite-size cubes
½ teaspoon paprika (optional)
1 clove garlic, finely diced
300ml reduced-salt vegetable stock
1 x 227g can chopped tomatoes
Freshly ground black pepper
80g baby spinach leaves

Method

Cook the pasta as instructed, until al dente (cooked but still has a bite). Drain, rinse in cold water and set aside until needed.
Warm the oil in a non-stick pan and gently fry the onion and celery for 3–4 minutes until they begin to soften. Add the carrot and parsnip, then cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring continuously.
Add the paprika and garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, chopped tomatoes and black pepper; and bring to the boil. Reduce the temperature, cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Add the pasta and continue cooking for 2–3 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in the spinach and serve.

Serving suggestion: Serve with cooked prawns (add to the pasta 2–3 minutes before the end of cooking) to make a more substantial meal.