MINESTRONI RECIPES

Steps:

• In 5-quart Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, carrots, onion, celery, garlic, Italian seasoning, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened.
• Stir in 6 cups water, the vegetable base, tomatoes, kidney and cannellini beans. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook 15 minutes.
• Stir in pasta, green beans, zucchini and spinach. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until pasta is tender.
• Meanwhile, bake breadsticks as directed on can. Remove from oven; immediately brush tops with melted butter. In small bowl, mix garlic powder and 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt. Sprinkle mixture lightly onto buttered breadsticks; serve warm with soup.

Steps:

• Put a large frying pan over a low heat, add the lardons and cook for 10 minutes until crisp, golden and the fat has run from the meat. Transfer onto a plate.
• Tip the carrots, celery and onion into the bacon fat and fry for two minutes before adding the garlic, herbs and tomato purée. Cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and most of the stock. Bring to the boil. Carefully transfer the soup to a slow cooker, cover with the lid, then cook on high for 4 hours until the vegetables are tender.
• Stir the beans and pasta into the soup, adding the rest of the stock if it seems overly thick. Scatter the shredded greens over the top of the soup, then re-cover with the lid. Cook for 30 minutes until the pasta is tender. Stir in the greens, season with salt and pepper, then serve in bowls with a drizzle of oil and plenty of parmesan.