On a cold day, there’s something really comforting about a warm bowl of soup for lunch. As this one takes a solid 30 minutes to cook, it’s a good one to make ahead or batch cook and enjoy soup for days.

As Minestrone basically means a thick vegetable soup with beans or pasta (the name literally means “to provide, serve, dish up,”), anything goes as far as I’m concerned. Typically, I change it up depending on what veg I have in the fridge, and sometimes I add bacon too. But when I think of Minestrone, I imagine a tomato-based soup, then I usually add in any of the following depending on what I have and the season: onion, garlic, carrots, potato, kale, courgettes, green beans, peas, peppers, tinned beans such as borlotti or cannellini…Other great additions are grated cheese or a stir through of pesto…

I had a few tinned mixed beans left over from yesterday’s Quick Quesadillas, so I’ve added them in at the end too.

• Onion
• Clove garlic
• Oil
• Stock cube
• Tin tomatoes
• Salt & pepper
• 2 carrots – peeled and diced
• Small potato – peeled and diced
• A small amount of swede – peeled and diced
• Handful of kale
• Peas
• Handful of macaroni
• A couple of spoonfuls of mixed beans (drained)

Saute the onion and other vegetables (not the kale) in a little oil, then add the tomatoes and two tin’s worth of extra water. Bring to the boil then add the pasta and kale. Cook until the vegetables are softened and the pasta is done. Season to taste.

I don’t know exact quantities, as I go by eye with the pasta and add more water if needed. It generously served four people.

To make a quicker version, use quicker to cook vegetable rather than swede and potato and swap the pasta for spaghetti or tiny soup pasta that cooks in minutes.