Minestrone Soup

Total points per recipe 16

Serves 4

Ingredients

Oil spray

2 onions, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery stick, chopped

salt and pepper

few sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp tomato puree

240g butter beans, rinsed and drained

500ml stock

Tin tomatoes

60g macroni spaghetti

Cabbage, finely sliced

Options:

I also added a diced courgette for 0 extra points

40g smoked bacon (I left this out because of my vegetarian month!) (extra 2 points) Parmesan, for grating (1 tbsp 2 points)

Method 

1 spray the saucepan with oil and add the onions, carrots, celery and seasoning. stir frequently over a medium heat for about 10 minutes until the veg become soft.

2 add the thyme, bay leaf and bacon if using and increase the heat slightly and cook stirring for 2 minutes then add the tomato puree and cook for another minute.

3 tip in the butter beans, tomatoes (courgette if using) and pour in the stock. Bring to a simmer and add the macroni and cook for 10 minutes. taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Stirfry the cabbage in a tsp low fat butter and ladle the soup into warmed bowls and scatter with the fried cabbage and parmesan if using.

Enjoy!