My favourite minestrone soup

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 60g nitrate-free bacon (finely diced)

• 1 large red onion,(finely diced)

• 2 cloves garlic crushed

• 1 leek, white part only,(washed and diced)

• 4 celery sticks,(finely diced)

• 2 peeled carrots and finely diced

• 1 teaspoon of sea salt

• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste

• 25g of shredded silverbeet, leaves and stalks

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• 1 fresh bay leaf

• 2 flat leaf parsley springs, leaves removed and roughly chopped

• 1.5-2 litre chicken stock

• 100g of cannellini beans cooked

• 100g chickpeas cooked

• 1 cup wholemeal pasta of your choice,

• Freshly ground pepper & parmesan to serve

METHOD

HEAT THE OIL on a medium, low deep heavy-based pan and sweat the bacon until it releases its fat. Add the onion, garlic, leek, celery, carrot and salt and sweat over low heat for 8 minutes, without colouring. Add tomato paste and silverbeet and cook for 2-3 minutes.

ADD THE CANNED TOMATOES, bay leaf, parsley and 1.5L of the stock. Bring to the boil and gently simmer for 1 hour. Add the cooked cannellini beans, chickpeas and pasta for a further 10 minutes, or until pasta is cooked through. Add more stock if required.

CHECK THE seasoning, add more salt if necessary, and freshly ground pepper.

REMOVE THE BAY LEAF before serving. Spoon the soup into four bowls and add a fresh grind of pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to each. Serve with freshly grated parmesan.