Easy and filling Minestrone Soup

This filling minestrone is a great way to avoid food waste and clear out the fridge before your next supermarket shop – and hopefully save some cash in the process.

“Swap the chorizo for bacon, add beans or lentils, use only veg – anything goes,” says chef Tom Kerridge. “If you roughly follow these ratios of veg, chicken stock and pasta, it will always taste delicious.”

Read: Easy Pea and Bacon Soup

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cooking chorizo sausages, sliced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 celery sticks, diced
• 2 tablespoon thyme leaves
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 150g small pasta shapes or orzo
• 150g frozen peas
• 2 large handfuls of kale, roughly chopped
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

To finish:

• extra virgin olive oil
• finely grated Parmesan

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chorizo slices, let them slowly render in the oil and cook for around five minutes or until they just begin to caramelise. Add the onion, carrots and celery and sauté for a further five minutes or until softened.

Add the thyme, chicken stock and tinned tomatoes and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for five minutes before adding the pasta. Stir well and simmer for 12 minutes or until the pasta is almost cooked.

Read: Creamy Broccoli and Leek Soup

Toss in the frozen peas and kale, stir well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes until the kale is tender.

Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Parmesan, then serve.

Real Life Recipes by Tom Kerridge is published by Bloomsbury Absolute. Photography by Cristian Barnett. Available now.

– With PA