There is a definite chill in the air at the moment, and I have been craving soups. I always make my own soups because I despise the taste of the canned or packet varieties… there goes my Heinz sponsorship :)

In the past I have given you my Thai Pumpkin Soup, my Pesto Pea Soup and my Salmon Miso Soup but today I will be sharing my version of an Italian Minestrone Soup.

Be warned readers, when I make soup, nothing is by half measures!  These babies are designed to give you a stock of soup which will see you through half the winter.  The ingredients will make approximately ten serves of Minetrone. I always have takeaway containers on hand to ladle each serve into ready for freezing.

Ingredients:

½ cup brown lentils (Uncooked)

440 gm 4 Bean Mix

500 gm Potato diced

195 gm Carrots diced

160 gm Onion

6 cloves Garlic chopped

1 bunch Fresh Basil Leaves chopped

2 cups Green Beans chopped

840 gm canned Tomatoes

2 litres Campbell's - Real Stock Vegetable Salt Reduced

Pepper, black

100gm Dry Pasta

1/2 cup Cauliflower chopped

1 tsp Tabasco Sauce

Method:

Firstly do you love the ingredients I picked from my garden? There are also some homegrown tomatoes in the pot too because I didn't have quite enough canned tomato.

Put all the ingredients in the largest pot you have which has a lid.

Cook over a low heat with the lid on stirring occasionally.  The soup will need to cook for 30-40 mins or until the potato and pasta has softened.

Add extra Tabasco sauce, pepper and basil to taste then serve.

I love to have my soup with homemade bread.  I usually toast the bread and add a bit of parmesan cheese, delicious.

Now whenever there is a chill in the air I have a ready supply of my Italian Minestrone Soup.

I have been returning to old favourites when it comes to soup.  Give me some suggestions for my next soup, what are your favourites at the moment? Do you have a recipe you would like to share? Please let me know.