What could be better than a hot bowl of delicious minestrone to warm you up during the cold winter months? Chock-full of beans and assorted veggies, this meatless meal will fill you up without weighing you down. It can be prepared with pasta or simply paired with crusty bread. No matter how you serve it, this soup will surely become a family favourite.

Ingredients

• 2 Small white onions, minced
• 4 Garlic, cloves minced
• 1/2 cup Medium size carrots, sliced
• 1/2 cup Celery stalks,sliced
• 1/2 cup Russet potatoes, sliced
• 1/3 cup Fresh green beans, sliced
• 120g Cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
• 240g can Diced tomatoes
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 L (4 cups) Vegetable or chicken stock
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 250 g Small pasta
• 2 handfuls Fresh baby spinach or Swiss chard
• 2 tbsp Italian parsley, fresh
• 30g Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind

Preparation

Heat oil over medium heat in a large stock pot. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, potatoes and celery. Cook over medium heat for about five minutes or until onions become translucent.

Add the vegetable stock and the diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Stir in the green beans halfway through cooking and the cannellini beans, baby spinach and parmesan rind five minutes before the end. Add extra water if needed.

Serve with pasta or crusty Italian bread.