Having recently been on holiday, working hard at work, looking after the family, building a new website I felt I needed to return to soup making. Also soup is sometimes put on the back burner if the summer weather is too hot.

So to get myself back into it I thought I would go down the Soffrito / Italian Minestrone style route for today’s efforts. So after a summer of excess and hard work I am back on the soup trail.

Serves: 4

Approximate Calories: 588 (150 calories per serving – add about 150 calories if you have the bread) 

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil (other types of oil will do)
• 25 grams of butter
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium potato, roughly chopped
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 1 green pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 handful of peas
• 1 handful of broad beans
• 2 teaspoons of Oregano

To make the base heat the oil in frying pan, add the butter, onions, garlic, potato, carrots and green pepper and soft fry for about 4 minutes. Then add the chopped tomatoes, peas and broad beans and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes on a low heat.

Then add the following to the soup maker or pan

• 6 splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Knorr beef stock pot (Chicken or Vegetable stockpots will do as well)
• Add hot water to (level 2 in the soup-maker the higher) or 750 ml into the pan

Method:

• Set the soup maker to smooth.
• Alternatively put all of the ingredients into a saucepan when ready and bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minute’s or so then blend when done until smooth.
• For a thinner soup add more water for a thicker soup add less water.
• Optional – Crusty bread as desired (I add a splash or two of hot sauce)