Magnificent Minestrone

Packed full of veggies this soup should be enough to ward off the last of the freshers flu

Minestrone is as inexpensive as it is tasty making it ideal for any student. Winter is coming, and this soup will keep you warm and satisfied all day long.

I would suggest using my ingredients list as more of guide as opposed to a rigid recipe.

For instance if you had some rogue sweet potatoes lurking around or you had rice rather than pasta don't be afraid to mix it up.
I tend to do my main shop at Aldi and they have a great selection of pre prepared vegetables such as stir fry mixes or this casserole one:

When cooking at home there's no reason not to use packets like this, as it takes all the hassle out of the preparation! This mix included carrots, potatoes, swedes, onions and leek but you wouldn't have to use those specific ones if you were recreating this dish at home. I think most supermarkets stock a similar product so look out for it!
Personally I feel my lingering sniffle freaking out at the sight of all this veg.

I always underestimate the size of the pan I'm going to need! This one was almost running over. 

Ideally for minestrone you'd use very small pasta shells but as these were the only ones I had they had to suffice. If you have spaghetti this would be perfect broken up to add in.

I've had a bit of a love hate relationship with Kale over the last few years. I know it's good for me but I've always found it so tough and chewy that I have had to banish it from my kitchen for a while. However I think this soup has bought us together and provided a bridge over troubled leafy greens. It really adds colour and flavour to soup and I would recommend using!

The fresh parsley and balsamic vinegar at the end can feel like a faff but they do make a difference so if you can get them you won't regret it!

Pack this into a thermos for the perfect winter soup and feel like a boss.
I always make big portions and freeze a couple of batches so that when I'm feeling lazy or too poor to face a full food shop I know I have some wholesome treats in the freezer for me.

These freezer bags are from Lakeland and when I first bought them I nearly had a heart attack they were so expensive. However they are legit and mean that your soup doesn't fall out and spill everywhere while you're filling the bag. You can also microwave your soup in them and they can be reused so I reckon they were worth shelling out for.

RECIPE:
Makes around 6 portions

Ingredients:
2 tsps olive oil
1 yellow onion
600g of prepared casserole vegetables (including carrot, potato, swede, onion and leeks)
1 sprig rosemary chopped as small as you can
3 garlic cloves (around 2 tsps minced garlic)
1 tsp chili flakes
1 can chopped tomatoes
50g pearl barley (you could use red or black lentils here)
1 litre vegetable stock
Pinch of good quality salt
75g dried pasta, in any small shape you like
3 large handfuls of kale (around 80g if you prefer not to measure food by handfuls!)
2 tsps balsamic vinegar
1 large handful of chopped parsley
A dash of lemon juice (around two teaspoons)
Freshly ground pepper

Method:
Find the biggest saucepan in your house and warm up the oil over a medium heat.
Add in the vegetable pack and onion and cook on the heat until they are getting brown.
Toss in the rosemary, garlic and chili and stir briefly over the heat.
Tip in the tomatoes and pearl barley and cook for approximately 30 seconds.

Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
Simmer for around 15 minutes, or until the potato is tender.
Add in the salt and pasta and gently simmer for a further 10 minutes (or until the pasta is cooked, this may vary according to your pasta shape).
Fold in the kale and keep on the heat for another 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat and spoon in the vinegar and parsley.
Taste it to check if it needs any more seasoning; more pepper? More chili? Do what you think is right here.

Try not to eat all of it out the bowl like an animal

Serve it straight away with some crusty bread.

If you are freezing this make sure the soup is room temperature before putting it in your freezer.