Budget Italian vegetable soup

At a glance

Preparation time: 25 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 onion*
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic or 1 garlic clove
• 2 tablespoons oil*
• 3 cups mixed vegetables* (fresh or frozen)
• 400g canned tomato* (no added salt if available)
• 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• 1L salt reduced vegetable stock*
• 1 cup water
• 200g pasta (your choice of pasta)
• 400g canned cannellini beans*, (no added salt if available)
• Pepper, to taste

Steps

1. Dice the onion by removing the outer skins and chop into small pieces. Place in a small bowl for later.
2. If using fresh garlic, remove the outer skin and chop cloves into very small pieces. Add to bowl with the onion.
3. If using fresh vegetables, chop the mixed vegetables up into bite sized pieces. Set aside in a bowl.
4. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Wait until the oil sizzles a little then add onion and garlic, stirring with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes or until onion is soft and starting to change colour.
5. Add mixed vegetables, canned tomatoes and dried Italian herbs and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
6. Add vegetable stock and water and bring to a boil by increasing the heat. Once boiling add pasta and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Drain the cannellini beans using a colander and rinse with water. Add cannellini beans. Continue cooking for 6-8 minutes, or until the pasta is soft and cooked through.
8. Distribute soup between bowls and sprinkle with pepper.

*Tips

• You can use red or brown onion.
• Use any of these cooking oils: olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil.
• You can add any canned, fresh, frozen or leftover vegetables to this recipe (e.g. carrot, celery, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli).
• Use any type of canned tomatoes (e.g., diced, crushed or canned cherry tomatoes).
• Option to replace vegetable stock liquid with 4 salt reduced vegetable stock cubes and add 1L water.
• Use wholemeal pasta for extra iron and fibre.
• Use any type of canned legume (e.g., kidney beans, four bean mix).
• Option to serve with a slice of wholemeal bread.

Watch how to make it

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