Minestrone

by Charlie McCarthy, Sr.

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 2 medium onions
• 2 cloves garlic
• olive oil
• 800 g white cannellini beans
• 200 g cauliflower
• 200 g broccoli
• 200 g spinach
• 2 tomatoes
• 28 oz diced tomatoes
• parmesan cheese
• cracked pepper

Soup

1. Peel and roughly slice the carrots
2. Slice the celery
3. Peel and roughly chop the onions
4. Peel and slice the garlic
5. Put a large pot on a medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil
6. Add all the chopped and sliced ingredients and mix together with a wooden spoon
7. Cook for around 10 to 15 minutes with the lid askew, until the carrots have softened but are still holding their shape, and the onion is lightly golden
8. Meanwhile, drain the beans
9. Break up the cauliflower and broccoli into small florets
10. Roughly chop the spinach
11. Quarter the tomatoes, removing any stalks
12. Pour in stock then add the cannellini beans, cauliflower, broccoli, quartered tomatoes and the can of diced tomatoes (and frozen spinach if using frozen)
13. Give the soup a good stir and bring to the boil
14. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on

To Serve

1. Add the spinach to the pot and cook for a further 30 seconds, then remove the pot from the heat
2. If you like your soup a little less chunky, you can take out half of it, blend it using a hand blender or liquidizer, then stir it back into the pot
3. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and finish with grated parmesan cheese and cracked pepper

Enjoy!