Minestrone soup

Thick Italian soup made with small pasta and lots of veg

Minestrone Soup with Pasta, Beans and Vegetables

Although this is technically a meat dish, it can easily be converted to vegetarian/vegan as we have done here. Cooked to perfection using the SOUP/SLOW COOK function of your rice cooker. *For meat eaters you can easily add protein at the end of cooking.

AuthorHungry PandaCategory, DifficultyBeginner

Yields3 Servings
Prep Time20 minsCook Time2 hrsTotal Time2 hrs 20 mins

INGREDIENTS
 small cubes of vegetables (we use potato, carrot, green beans, baby sweetcorn, red pepper and cauliflower)
 1 yellow onion
 1 clove garlic
 1 tbsp tomato puree
 1 tin whole plum tomatoes
 1 vegetable stock cube and 550ml hot water
 3 tbsp pre-cooked kidney beans
 3 tbsp elbow macaroni or other small shaped pasta
 2 pinches mixed italian herbs
 1.20 tbsp sugar (depending on how acidic the tomatoes are)
 1 pinch salt
 1 pinch black pepper
 1 pinch paprika
 cornflour mixed with cold water for thickening

HOW TO MAKE
1

Add all the ingredients to your rice cooker and select the SOUP or SLOW COOK function. Alternatively you can first fry the onions and garlic in a pan with some oil until they are caramelised. Add a splash of water to the pan and a large tablespoon of tomato puree before adding to the rice cooker.

2

Sprinkle some black pepper, coat the onions in the melted tomato puree and add the can of whole plum tomatoes and roughly chop with a spoon.

3

Add hot water (you don’t have to use the whole amount if you don’t want to), vegetable stock cube, vegetables, sugar, herbs, salt and paprika. Set the cooking time for 2 hours and press START on your rice cooker.

4

After 1 hour, taste and adjust the seasoning, at this point it may need a little more sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir in the kidney beans and elbow macaroni and simmer for another 10 minutes.

5

Thicken the soup with the cornflour and water and continue to cook until the pasta is ready to eat.

6

Once ready, serve into bowls and garnish with vegan parmesan. Serve with a nice warm roll or oatcakes.

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS
 small cubes of vegetables (we use potato, carrot, green beans, baby sweetcorn, red pepper and cauliflower)
 1 yellow onion
 1 clove garlic
 1 tbsp tomato puree
 1 tin whole plum tomatoes
 1 vegetable stock cube and 550ml hot water
 3 tbsp pre-cooked kidney beans
 3 tbsp elbow macaroni or other small shaped pasta
 2 pinches mixed italian herbs
 1.20 tbsp sugar (depending on how acidic the tomatoes are)
 1 pinch salt
 1 pinch black pepper
 1 pinch paprika
 cornflour mixed with cold water for thickening

Directions

HOW TO MAKE
1

Add all the ingredients to your rice cooker and select the SOUP or SLOW COOK function. Alternatively you can first fry the onions and garlic in a pan with some oil until they are caramelised. Add a splash of water to the pan and a large tablespoon of tomato puree before adding to the rice cooker.

2

Sprinkle some black pepper, coat the onions in the melted tomato puree and add the can of whole plum tomatoes and roughly chop with a spoon.

3

Add hot water (you don’t have to use the whole amount if you don’t want to), vegetable stock cube, vegetables, sugar, herbs, salt and paprika. Set the cooking time for 2 hours and press START on your rice cooker.

4

After 1 hour, taste and adjust the seasoning, at this point it may need a little more sugar, salt, pepper and paprika. Stir in the kidney beans and elbow macaroni and simmer for another 10 minutes.

5

Thicken the soup with the cornflour and water and continue to cook until the pasta is ready to eat.

6

Once ready, serve into bowls and garnish with vegan parmesan. Serve with a nice warm roll or oatcakes.

Notes

Minestrone soup
Handy-Tip-greedy-panda-blog-icon

Use tofu chunks and dipping bread to jazz it up if you feel it’s needed. For the meat eaters you can add sliced ham pieces at the serving point to satisfy every craving.