Quick Minestrone Soup

A great dish for lazy no-meat days! It’s almost as quick as heating a ready meal and great for using up left over vegetables.

Portions: 2 adults + 2 children
Cooking time: 20 mins

What's in it:  dish is full of Vitamins and important minerals; especially due to its short cooking time.

Ingredients: 1 courgette 1 large carrot 2 celery sticks ½ leek 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 500 g tomato passata 1 litre water ½  vegetable stock cube ½ cup small pasta shapes for soup (e.g. ditalini rigati, conchigliette or orzo) Salt, pepper, fresh thyme Optional: peppers, peas, sweet corn 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated

Preparation: Chop vegetables in small, similar size cubes. Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan, add vegetables and fry for a few minutes. Add garlic, tomato passata, water, stock cube and seasoning; bring to the boil, cover and cook for about 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add pasta, cover and continue to cook gently until pasta is soft (15 mins max); stir occasionally. Serve with grated parmesan cheese and fresh bread.

Adult version: This is a great lunch for me and Max during the week. On the weekend when daddy’s home, we’d probably have it as a starter... followed by a nice steak when Max is in bed. (but don’t tell anyone) Suitable for re-heating and freezing. ----- About this blog This blog is about family cooking. It's important to get together for family meals however finding healthy recipes for kids and adults can be difficult. Here are some ideas for quick and easy family meals that toddlers and grown-ups will love. They are well balanced, healthy family recipes, however they can be tweaked for fussy eaters or spiced up for a more sophisticated adult palate. In addition to the healthy family recipes, I'm publishing some of my knitting and crochet patterns for toddler toys and accessories.