Chef Rob's Winter Vegetable Minestrone

Ingredients

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 parsnips, quartered and sliced

2 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups potatoes, medium diced

8 cups vegetable stock, good quality-low sodium

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 cups packed kale, roughly chopped

3 100ml cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes

2 100ml cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

2 cups cooked pasta (penne or rotini), cook to package specifications, and then chill.

Instructions

1. In a large soup pot, sauté the onion and celery in 1 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, season with a pinch of salt and cook for roughly 3 minutes or until lightly browned.

2. Add the garlic, carrots, parsnips, cabbage, and potatoes. Sauté for another few minutes, until the vegetables are starting to soften.

3. Add the stock, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add the kale, tomatoes in their juices, and the beans. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.

5. Remove the bay leaf.

6. Remove the soup from the heat and stir in the remaining 3 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil, then season to your liking.

7. Serving suggestions, top it with parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and a hunk of your favourite bread.