This classic minestrone recipe is a whole meal in itself

Your instinct may be to pair soup with a few slices of crusty bread or a roll but there is plenty there to keep an adult filled for several hours.

If you use social media and interact with food recipes of videos you are bombarded with images of generous portions of food to share and eat. 

Generous bowls of soup are paired with stacked sandwiches and piles of bread, and they don’t always reflect healthy portion sizes. 

We expect food to be generous, especially when serving food to others. What if we served (and received) regular portions and plates were always clear of food? Simply put, there would be less food waste; something we all need to be more mindful of.

I was reminded of this exact point yesterday as I visited a local café for lunch as a rare treat. 

I asked for a bowl of soup and requested no bread. The bread still arrived, unwrapped, and I’m sure eventually made it to the compost bin.

For example, how many times have you eaten the side salad on a plate of food you ordered in a restaurant? 

Or left a slice of bread untouched on the table? Uneaten, both of which would eventually make their way to compost, but equally they cost the establishment money to prepare and place in front of you.

As a home cook, there is nothing more enticing than being handed a meal that I didn’t have to prepare, cook, or clean up after. It is such a treat! 

It’s a bugbear of mine that if I ask for a half portion in a restaurant but am willing to pay for a full-sized portion, that I can’t always be accommodated. 

I know how much I’d like to eat and appreciate the value of the food that I’m served which is why I always offer to pay the full price despite wanting a smaller portion.

Still, if we are to consume food more consciously then we must be free to express our preference when dining out and dining in. 

If you never eat the side salad, then make sure you request an unembellished meal when you order. Your restaurant will thank you and your plate will hopefully be clean. 

My trick at home is to eat half the bowl first and then figure out whether it’s filling enough, or will I want a slice of bread on the side when I reach the bottom.

Food wasted is money lost. Being more careful about what we prepare, and eat, will ultimately save us all money. 

If you’re simply a home cook or are involved in a food business, the money is better in your pocket than in somebody else’s.

Minestrone

recipe by:Caitriona Redmond 

You can add cooked beans towards the end of making this minestrone but they’re not essential and we often eat it with and without the addition. This soup is still highly nutritious and full of antioxidants.

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and chopped

• 1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 peppers, cored and chopped

• 1 tin chopped tomatoes

• 100g dried pasta

• 100g cooked beans (optional)

Method

1. In a large saucepan on a medium heat, cook the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes before adding the garlic. Cook for a further 5 minutes then add the carrots and peppers. Stir well and allow to heat through, then pour in the tomatoes from the tin. Fill the empty tin with water and pour into the pot.

2. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally and keep an eye on the water level. Add a little extra water (about 100ml) then pour in the pasta to cook in the soup mixture itself. Pour in the beans at this stage if you are using them.

3. Simmer the soup for a further 15 minutes before serving and season to taste.

Home Truths

The Heart of the Home

The warmest room in my house is the kitchen. The kids gravitate to it when they wander in from school. It’s a small, sunny, south facing room that always feels cosy, no matter how bad the weather is outside.

I’ve recently been dithering over whether to turn the heating back on before the end of October. 

Annually, on the 1st of May I turn over the valve and turn off the radiators, leaving the boiler to heat up hot water for showers only until the end of October. 

It has been a challenge this year to get that far but I have a little hack for you.

If you are finding your home chilly, decamp to the kitchen and start baking and roasting. 

Not only will you benefit from beautiful baked goods or a delectable roast dinner, but the house will be filled with glorious aromas and the kitchen will be snug and cosy. 

I’ve been using recent cold spells as the incentive to stock up on muffins and baked goods for lunchboxes.

In fact, once you are finished with the oven, leave it open to let the residual heat circulate around the kitchen and the home.