Hearty minestrone

Our hearty minestrone combines pantry staples and seasonal vegies into a nourishing meal that's high in fibre, packed with nutrients and ready in under an hour. Perfect for batch cooking and even better the next day!

Serves: 4

Time to make: 45 mins

Ingredients

More weights & measures

2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra to serve
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 red onion, finely chopped (or use a leek if you prefer)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup diced pumpkin
2 medium potatoes, diced
1 bay leaf
400g can cherry tomatoes
400g can whole peeled tomatoes
sprig rosemary
1 can cannellini or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
100g fusilli or pasta shells
2 cups roughly chopped silver beet
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) trimmed green beans
1 tablespoon fresh oregano (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
handful fresh basil (optional)
2 tablespoon grated or shaved parmesan, to serve

Instructions

Stay Awake

1 Heat oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add carrots, celery and onion. Stir well and cook gently for about 10 minutes, until the onion is translucent and
mixture is fragrant. Don’t hurry this step – lower the heat if necessary to prevent the vegies browning. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

2 Stir in pumpkin and potatoes and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add bay leaf, tomatoes and rosemary. Use a wooden spoon to crush the tomatoes. Gently stir
through cannellini beans. Add enough water to cover all the vegies. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes and pumpkin are tender.

3 Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add silver beet, green beans, oregano and a little more water if needed. Cook for another 5 minutes until pasta is al dente.

4 Stir through parsley and basil. Season with a little salt and black pepper.

5 To serve, divide among 4 bowls, sprinkle with parmesan and drizzle over a little olive oil, if desired.

Nutrition Info (per serve)

Calories 349 cal

Kilojoules 1459 kJ

Protein 15 g

Total fat 4.7 g

Saturated fat 1.2 g

Carbohydrates 55 g

Sugar 18 g

Dietary fibre 13 g

Sodium 326 mg

Calcium 171 mg

Iron 4.8 mg

Note: This nutrition analysis is a guide only. Nutrition composition will vary depending on the exact ingredients used. See our guides on your optimal daily nutrition intake, and supermarket shopping.