What haven’t I done before?

• Made stock from scratch (pre-made) – I used the chicken carcus from my Sunday roast. Feel free to make vegetarian stock for this recipe
• Used cannellini beans
• Made minestrone soup

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

2 x Celery sticks, diced
2 x Carrots, diced (I don’t peel carrots but feel free to if you prefer)
2 x Red onions, diced
2 x Garlic cloves, diced
0.5 x Fennel bulb, diced
1 x Courgette, diced
1 x Vine tomato, diced
2 x Tins of chopped tomato
1 x Can of cannellini beans
2 x Cup of chicken stock
1 x Glass of red wine (plus whatever you want to drink)
1 x Tbspn of dried oregano
1 x Tspn of dried thyme
1 x Tspn of dried rosemary
2 x Bay leaves
Bunch of fresh basil
1 x Tbspn brown sugar
Gluten free soy sauce
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

1. Sauté onions, garlic and celery in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Cook until transparent.
2. Add fennel, carrots, courgette and the vine tomato – mix the dish really well.
3. Add the tinned tomatoes, beans, stock and wine – mix all ingredients really well and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Add all the herbs, give the soup a really good seasoning with salt and pepper, then half the fresh basil. Simmer the dish for 45 minutes. Taste test halfway through – add sugar if the dish is too bitter and gluten free soy sauce if it needs a little more flavour. After 45 minutes check that the carrots are cooked (mine took ages).
5. Serve with homemade croutons (see curried carrot and sweet potato soup recipe), fresh Parmesan and basil.