Cozy Weekend Winter Soup
Now that the temperature is set to freezing, it is the perfect time to get into the kitchen and create some amazing soups. My favourite is the variation on a traditional minestrone soup!
Where to start.....
The Soup Base:
600ml of traditional pasta sauce (fresh or frozen) however if you can't make this from scratch you can also use Passata sauce (which you can by from your local supermarket).
3 small red potatoes chopped
1 large carrot chopped (or 2 small)
2 celery sticks chopped
1/2 of a brown onion diced
1 clove of garlic - crushed
4 cups of salt reduced chicken stock
Fresh or frozen pesto (this can be store bought, if you don't make it from scratch)
1 packet of beef tortellini (frozen or dry)
Method:
1. In a large saucepan place enough oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan and set to a medium heat. Take all the chopped elements such as onion, garlic, celery, carrots and cook until softened.
2. Place the potato, chicken stock and tomato sauce into the pan and cook for 5 mins on medium heat whilst stirring, reduce heat and simmer for another 10-15mins.
3. Meanwhile cook the pasta in slightly salted water, until al dente.
4. Place the pesto into the soup and stir until well combined, then add the cooked pasta to the sauce.
5. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
This soup is a classic for winter. It can serve 4 people (depending on your bowl size) or 2 people with left overs. The real hero of this dish is the pesto. It brings life to the soup in a way you may never have thought of. Go forth and cook!
