My Mother’s Minestrone

A wonderful soup for lunch beside the fire.

After so many baking recipes lately, which isn’t good for Slimming World, I’ve decided to focus on a more balanced selection of recipes, starting with this soup.

If you were expecting this to be a true Minestrone recipe, I’m afraid it isn’t. It’s my mother’s version, which is just as tasty.

I like Minestrone soup because it is a good and hearty meal of a soup. I sometimes serve it with a piece of good bread toasted and spread with butter, it makes a good lunch or supper in the winter. Especially after a good long walk with the dog.

My Mother’s Minestrone – makes enough for eight servings

I’m giving this to you in the form of a recipe, rather than as written in my mother’s notebook.

Half a packet of ready prepared sofrito (a mix of carrot, celery and onion)
A leek, thickly sliced
A couple of carrots, thickly sliced
A little oil
A jar of good quality tomato and pancetta pasta sauce
Approx 1 litre good beef stock or chicken, even vegetable
A large handful red lentils
A tin of borlotti beans, rinsed
A few leaves of either kale or cavolo nero
A handful of soup pasta

As usual, sweat the sofrito and chopped vegetables in the oil until softened, about 15-20 minutes or so.

Add the sauce, stock, lentils and beans. Cook for twenty five to thirty minutes or so, until the lentils are soft.

Add the cabbage leaves and leave for a few minutes. Then add the pasta, and cook until the pasta is cooked.

Serve in bowls with some good toast.

Notes: You can use diced bacon and tinned tomatoes instead of using a jar of ready-made tomato and pancetta pasta sauce, add the bacon with the sofrito, and the tomatoes.

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And finally, a little brief message.On 22nd November this year, 2015, I turned twenty-eight, and I decided to change my eating habits and to up my exercise a bit, because I would like to be fit and healthy when I’m thirty in 2017. Which is why I’ve included a list of goals I would like to accomplish by then.

And here they are:

· Lose an extra 1.5 stone in weight.

· Build some body tone.

· Give a variety of recipes on this site, not just cakes and bakes.

· To attempt recipes that I wouldn’t have done so otherwise.

I think these are very good goals, and easy to accomplish. I hope you all agree.