Minestrone Soup

Method

1. Start by dicing the onion, carrots and celery and sauté until tender in butter and olive oil. Next add the chilli and tomato paste, thyme, oregano and balsamic vinegar and stir to incorporate and cook until slightly tender.
2. Meanwhile, chop the aubergine and courgette into slightly larger pieces than your carrot and celery and add the aubergine only to the pan along with the finely chopped garlic cloves. Cook for a further 4–5 minutes before adding in the vegetable broth, tinned tomatoes, bay leaf and nutritional yeast.
3. Bring the soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer before adding in the entire contents of the cannellini bean tin. Chop the green beans into 1 inch pieces and add to the soup along with the previously cut courgette.
4. After a further 4–5 minutes, remove the bay leaf — the soup base is ready.
5. When ready to eat, bring the soup back to a simmer, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Season to taste before serving in deep bowls sprinkled with chopped parsley and nutritional yeast, and eat with crusty bread.

Equipment

• Sharp knife
• Chopping board
• Large soup pot or lidded pan
• Vegetable peeler
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon