Minestrone

serves 4-5

a good soup for a cold day

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil
1/4 onion -finlly chopped
1 and a 1/2 flakes garlic-crushed
1 and a 1/2-diced into small peices[1 cup]
1/2 smal potato-diced into small peices[1/4 a cup]
4 tbsp finlly chopped celerey
1 and 1/2 medium sized tomatos blanched, peeled and chopped finlly
1/4 cup shell pastha or any small pasta
5 cups stock or 5 cups water mixed with 2 soup/stock cubes, see note
3 tbsp baked beans,[optional] refer to note. use salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. to blanche the tomatoes, put them in water for 3-4 minutes. Remove the water and peel them to remove the skin. Chop them finely and you can also blanche them in the microwave in a bowl without water, for 4 minutes, keep aside.
2. Heat oil, add onion and garlic. Stir fry until light brown.
3. Add carrots and potatoes and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add diced chicken, macaroni. Stir for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add celery and blanched tomtoes. Cook 2-3 minutes.
6. Add stock and baked beans. Bring to boil. Lower heat. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
7. Serve hot, ganished with some grated cheese.

Note:

for chicken minestrone, half a cup of diced boneless chicken can be used instead of small pasta.
Instead of homemade chicken stock 5 cups water and 2 chicken cubes and be used. Do not add any salt, if using soup cubes as they already contain salt. Taste at the end and adjust salt to taste.
The left over baked beans can be stored in a clean stainless steel or plastic container in the freezer.