Italian Rustic Minestrone Soup with Bacon

Italian Rustic Minestrone Soup with Bacon

Serves 4 | Cooking Time: 60-70 minutes

Ingredients

• 1x15mlsp (1tbsp) Rapeseed oil
• 2 Carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• 2 Celery sticks, cut into 2cm chunks
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 12 Rashers of smoked back bacon, cut into bitesize pieces, or lardons
• 2 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5mlsp (1tsp) Fresh rosemary, chopped
• 5mlsp (1tsp) Dried thyme
• 3x15mlsp (3tbsp) Tomato purée
• 400g Can chopped tomatoes
• 1.2 litres (2pts) Vegetable stock
• 400g Can cannellini beans, drained
• 50g (13/4 oz) Small dried pasta shapes e.g. angel hair, macaroni
• 110g (4oz) Kale, thickly shredded
• Seasoning

Instructions

1. In a casserole dish add the oil and fry off the carrots, celery, onion, and bacon for 1-2 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic, herbs and tomato purée and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and most of the stock, stir and bring to the boil.
3. Cover and reduce the heat to a very low setting and simmer for 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the beans and pasta and add the remaining stock if the soup seems too thick.
5. Scatter the kale over the top and cover. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the pasta is tender.
6. Season to taste and serve.