One Pot - Minestrone Soup

A super hearty and tasty meal that you can easily do and use up any wilting vegetables that have pasted their prime. Do it with some tinned tomatoes to thicken it up or it's perfectly okay without. The longer you let it simmer (before adding in any pasta) the tastier it will get! One of our favourite comfort foods on the road when we feel like we haven't had enough proper nutrients in us and it's so easy to do anywhere!

Ingredients

Pasta - whatever you've got left over and if it's a mix it doesn't matter. Put it in a bag then smack it with the bottom of a pot to break up so pieces are relatively even sized. Or if thats weird to you just have the pasta in their normal form. Note. if you have a mix of whole grain/whole wheat and regular pasta then put in the whole grain/wheat before the regular pasta to account for the difference in cooking time.
(Rice) - if you have leftover rice instead of pasta be creative and swap it out instead! More or less the same delicious taste.
Celery
Onion
Garlic
Carrots
Salt and pepper
Tinned tomatoes - plum or diced (we have done many soups simply leaving the tomatoes out, however, they do add great flavour and bulk up the meal)

Additional vegetables - choose what you want (or are limited to) and the quantity. Here are some veggies we put in...

Kale - if using the stalk of the kale add in at the very beginning
Shredded cabbage - nice and easy way to bulk up the soup when ingredients are limited
Chickpeas - Another good protein add which is great for the vegetarians/vegans out there or those having less meats on the road
Spinach - add in as late as you want depending on how wilted you prefer your spinach
Beans - cannellini, butter, black or kidney. Whatever you got! A good add for protein

Option extras for added flavour

Dried Italian herbs - keep it simple if you need on the road!
Rosemary (dried or fresh)
Bay leaves (dried or fresh)
Oregano (dried or fresh)
Vegetable/Chicken stock or broth
Pesto

Method

Peel off the leaves of any greens you're using with a tough stalk. Finely chop the stalk.
Slice up onion and finely chop a garlic clove or two.
Grab your pot of choice and put it over a medium-high heat on a stovetop. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot.
Add in onion, garlic and finely chopped stalks.
Dice carrots and celery, adding to the pot as you go. While stirring regularly cook until vegetables until they start to soften (around 10 minutes).
Add in a can of tinned tomatoes (if using) along with a tin full of broth or water and a stock cube. If you have no stock or broth not a problem!
Add tinned beans (don't worry about draining them it'll add to the flavour).
Season with salt and pepper. Add in any herbs (fresh rosemary or dried cilantro, Italian herb blend or bay leaves).
Tear greens leaves and scatter them throughout the pot.
Add in anymore water if soup is looking too thick. Now add in the pasta. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked - try not too overcook it as the pasta become mushy and have unpleasant texture.
Add any more seasoning necessary. When doing a minestrone with tinned tomatoes we serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a cheeky fresh basil leaf from our camper grown basil plant. Pesto would also be great too.

One Pot - Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

(Rice) - if you have leftover rice instead of pasta be creative and swap it out instead! More or less the same delicious taste.

Celery

Onion

Garlic

Carrots

Salt and pepper

Tinned tomatoes - plum or diced (we have done many soups simply leaving the tomatoes out, however, they do add great flavour and bulk up the meal)

Additional vegetables - choose what you want (or are limited to) and the quantity. Here are some veggies we put in...

Kale - if using the stalk of the kale add in at the very beginning

Shredded cabbage - nice and easy way to bulk up the soup when ingredients are limited

Chickpeas - Another good protein add which is great for the vegetarians/vegans out there or those having less meats on the road

Spinach - add in as late as you want depending on how wilted you prefer your spinach

Beans - cannellini, butter, black or kidney. Whatever you got! A good add for protein

Option extras for added flavour

Dried Italian herbs - keep it simple if you need on the road!

Rosemary (dried or fresh)

Bay leaves (dried or fresh)

Oregano (dried or fresh)

Vegetable/Chicken stock or broth

Pesto

Method

Peel off the leaves of any greens you're using with a tough stalk. Finely chop the stalk.

Slice up onion and finely chop a garlic clove or two.

Grab your pot of choice and put it over a medium-high heat on a stovetop. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

Add in onion, garlic and finely chopped stalks.

Dice carrots and celery, adding to the pot as you go. While stirring regularly cook until vegetables until they start to soften (around 10 minutes).

Add in a can of tinned tomatoes (if using) along with a tin full of broth or water and a stock cube. If you have no stock or broth not a problem!

Add tinned beans (don't worry about draining them it'll add to the flavour).

Season with salt and pepper. Add in any herbs (fresh rosemary or dried cilantro, Italian herb blend or bay leaves).

Tear greens leaves and scatter them throughout the pot.

Add in anymore water if soup is looking too thick. Now add in the pasta. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes, or until the pasta is just cooked - try not too overcook it as the pasta become mushy and have unpleasant texture.

Add any more seasoning necessary. When doing a minestrone with tinned tomatoes we serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a cheeky fresh basil leaf from our camper grown basil plant. Pesto would also be great too.