Quick Vegetable Minestrone

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery sticks, diced
• 1 courgette, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre hot vegetable stock
• 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 100g small pasta, such as ditalini or macaroni
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Vegetarian hard cheese, finely grated, to serve
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Cook the onion, carrots and celery for 6 minutes until beginning to soften.

2. Add the courgette, garlic and tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Pour in the tomatoes, stock and oregano and bring to the boil. Add the pasta and beans and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta is tender.

4. Stir in the spinach until wilted and season well.

5. Serve in bowls topped with grated cheese.