A Quick Minestrone Soup

Hard to believe that we are now in the ninth month of the year. Here in the UK the temperatures seem to be dropping slightly and the nights are drawing in; having said that we could be in a heatwave again next week, the weather sure can be changeable sometimes! But with cooler temperatures I thought it would be nice to share a soup recipe, this one is from Angela Hartnett who is one of the most high-profile women in the restaurant world and one of the brightest talents to have emerged on the UK food scene in the past few years. She is a protégée of Gordon Ramsay and was made famous by her appearances on British television.

This recipe suggestion from Angela is for a quick and healthy minestrone soup which uses white beans rather than pasta for extra protein and flavour.

Ingredients

Serves Four
4 tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots, diced
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch dried red chilli flakes
200g/7oz tinned white beans, such as haricot, also known as white navy beans (drained weight)
500ml/18fl oz vegetable or chicken stock
100g/3½oz Parmesan (or alternative vegetarian hard cheese), finely grated, to serve
250g/9oz kale, stalks removed, roughly chopped
handful fresh flatleaf parsley, roughly chopped

Serving Suggestions

ciabatta bread*, cut into slices, 

or Low Carb Zucchini/Courgette Ciabatta - see here

or Focaccia Bread, low carb and gluten free - see here

Method

1. Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When hot, add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic and chilli flakes. Fry until softened, then tip in the beans and stock. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook for 5–8 minutes, or until cooked through.
2. Preheat the grill until hot. Toast both sides of the ciabatta slices*. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and toast until melted.
3. Stir the kale and parsley into the soup just before serving. Serve the soup in warm bowls with the Parmesan toasts.

From original idea here

Some other soups you may like 
Creamy Cauliflower Soup, it's low in carbs - here

Celeriac and Bramley Apple Soup, welcome on a cooler day - here

Cheezy Vegan Broccoli Soup - here

Dear reader, a variety of articles and recipe suggestions are found within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan