Resources

Our favourite Fall recipe

Simple Minestrone Soup (inspired by the Food Network)

Time: 30 minutes, serves 4

Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 links of your favourite Italian sausage (about 6 oz), with the casings removed
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 ribs of celery, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2-3 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 1 – 14 oz can of diced tomatoes
- 1 – 14 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta (or substitute any small pasta shape)
- 4 cups chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
1. In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil and add the sausage meat. Cook over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through, about 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Add in onion, carrot, celery, garlic, salt and pepper and cook until tender.
3. Add in kale and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.
4. Stir in pasta, tomatoes, chickpeas, chicken broth and 4 cups of water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until pasta is al dente (or just cooked through), about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

• A vegetarian version can be made by omitting the sausage and using your favourite vegetable soup stock.
• Turn this into a ready-made freezer meal:
1. Follow the recipe through to step 4 and instead of simmering the soup to cook the pasta, once the ingredients are added in step 4, remove from heat and ladle into your freezer containers. Label and freeze immediately.
2. Label with the following cooking instructions:
- Thaw soup in the fridge overnight.
- In a large stock pot bring the soup to a boil over medium high heat, reduce heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente and serve immediately.