Minestrone for the Freezer

• 3 tbspolive oil
• 2onions, finely chopped
• 3carrots, diced
• 3celery sticks, diced
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 2rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
• 2 tbsptomato puree
• 2 x 400gtins chopped tomatoes
• 2litres vegetable stock
• 2courgettes, diced
• 200ggreen beans, cut into 2cm lengths
• 1/2savoy cabbage (about 300g), shredded
• 480 gtinned cannellini beans, drained weight
• 60 gvegetarian Italian-style hard cheese, finely grated
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 320 gdried small pasta, 40 g per serving
• 400 gcrusty white bread
• 2 tbspextra virgin olive oil, to finish (optional)
• A piece of vegetarian hard cheese rind, optional; remove before serving (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the olive oil in your largest saucepan over a medium heat. Cook the onions, carrots and celery with a teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes until soft and sweet with no colour; this slow start is what makes the soup taste of more than stock.
2. 2Stir in the garlic, rosemary and tomato puree for 1 minute until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, stock and the optional hard cheese rind if you have one. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes until the carrots are nearly tender.
3. 3Add the courgettes, green beans, cabbage and cannellini beans and simmer for 12 minutes until every vegetable is tender and the cabbage has softened into the soup. Pull out the rind, then taste and season with salt and plenty of pepper until the tomato and rosemary come forward.
4. 4Ladle the portions for the freezer into tubs now, before any pasta goes in. Pasta turns soft and swollen in the freezer, so it is always cooked fresh on the night.
5. 5For tonight, bring the soup left in the pan back to a simmer and add 40g of pasta a head. Cook for 9 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then so it does not stick, until the pasta is tender. If the soup is thicker than you like, loosen it with a splash of water.
6. 6Serve in deep bowls with the grated vegetarian hard cheese over the top, a thread of extra virgin olive oil if you like and crusty bread alongside.
7. 7Cool the tubs within 2 hours and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, bring to a simmer in a pan and cook 40g of pasta a head in the soup for 9 to 10 minutes until the pasta is tender and the soup is piping hot, then finish with vegetarian hard cheese.

Per serving

kcal

511

protein

22.2g

fibre

11.8g

carbs

85.3g

fat

9.6g