Name: Easy Minestrone Soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Makes 2 adult and 2 child portions
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; 3 cups canned crushed tomatoes or tomato puree; 2 celery sticks, thinly sliced; 2½ ounces dry linguine or spaghetti, broken into small pieces, or small pasta shapes; bottled green pesto (optional); 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 vegetables from your refrigerator, about 1½ cups chopped in total, such as a carrot, a small red bell pepper, a handful green beans, a small leek and a zucchini; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 to 4 smoked bacon slices, finely chopped (optional); 1 onion, chopped; 3 cups hot vegetable stock; freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation info

Makes
2
adult

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
30 min

Appears in

Madhouse Cookbook

By Jo Pratt

Published 2013

About

This recipe is hearty and flavorsome in the tradition of the Italian classic, the name of which means “big soup”—it’s also quick and easy to make. You don’t have to be strict about the ingredients you use—it really is a case of whatever vegetables you find in the refrigerator and whatever shape pasta you happen to have. Any leftovers can be reheated the next day with an extra splash of water if the soup is too thick (and a sneaky splash of dry sherry added when serving for the adults if it’