05/08/2026
💚💚Chunky minestrone soup
With 12 of your weekly 30 plants to keep your gut happy this soup is a proper meal in a bowl! Put in the slow cooker and it’s done! It’s cheap and also great for using up random bits of veg you might have in the fridge.
2 carrots
2 celery sticks
2 onions
½ cup red lentils
1 cup frozen peas
100g green beans – sliced into small rounds
1 cup pasta (small shapes - gf if desired)
4 garlic cloves
1 tbs olive oil
200g bacon
2 tins of tomatoes
2 cups chicken/veggie stock - I used chicken bone broth
4 cups water
2 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 can cannellini beans
1 tsp salt/1 tsp pepper
40g parmesan grated (plus more for serving)
4 bay leaves
2 Sprigs of thyme
1/3 bunch parsley
Optional extra veg - swap for what you need to use
Butternut squash – 300g
Cabbage – 200g
Brown bacon in slow cooker (or frying pan). Add ingredients into pan as you’re chopping them – onion, garlic, celery, carrot first.
Add all other ingredients – except pasta, peas, beans. Give it a good stir. Cook in slow cooker for 5-6 hours. Add pasta, beans, peas for last hour. It will be quite think - add more water or stock if you’d like a thinner soup.
Top with chopped parsley and more grated Parmesan to serve.
Can be made veggie – remove bacon and use veggie stock not chicken.
Can be made vegan – as above and also remove parmesan – add 1 tbls nutritional yeast.
Can be gluten free - use gf pasta
About 2 cups of soup made as above gives nearly 25g of protein and 10g of fibre. Serve with crusty sourdough.
