Minestrone Soup

As 10 CC once said: “Life is a minestrone wrapped up in Parma ham/cheese. Death is an old D’Artagnan, suspenders in deep freeze”. Or something like that.

Purple Podded Peas from Gwydwr’s garden

Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Skill level: easy

Ingredients

• 1 onion – finely chopped
• 2 medium waxy potatoes – peeled and diced
• 2 carrots – finely diced
• 2 courgettes – finely diced
• 3 sticks of celery – finely chopped
• 1 can of tomatoes – chopped
• vegetable stock – 1 litre
• small pasta – 100g
• fresh peas/beans – a handful
• parmesan – coarsely grated – 75g
• 2 cloves of garlic – crushed
• spinach – roughly chopped – 225g
• basil – good handful – torn
• olive oil
• s & p

Pour some oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the onion and garlic for 8-10 minutes, until soft.

Add the potato, carrot, courgette, and celery and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the stock and tomatoes, cover and simmer for half an hour.

Add the pasta, peas/beans and spinach, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.

Season and stir in the basil.

Serve with a generous sprinkle of parmesan.

Verdict: The taste of late summer. Smashing!

Drink: Water.

Entertainment: An excellent ‘Waking the Dead’ on DVD. Boyd takes on the Home Office, MI5 and the CIA. SPOILER: Patricia Hodge did it.