Heart-warming Minestone Soup

I love nothing more than a bowl of homemade soup to cuddle into on a cold day, and Minestrone has to be an all time favourite of mine. I use a variation on the ingredients depending on what needs used up but the basis is always the same. This recipe makes roughly 4 generous portions. I'm sure my version is nothing like the original but its proper, happy food perfect for sharing with friends and family.

Ingredients:
1 large onion
1 inch fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
1 medium aubergine
1 medium courgette
10 approx button mushrooms
1 bell pepper
salt and pepper
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 tsp mixed herbs
200g approx pasta, I used macaroni as it was open!

Method:
Chop the aubergine, courgette, mushrooms and peppers into bite sized pieces and set to one side. Take a large pan and add in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Place over a medium heat until the oil begins to sizzle. Dice the onion and saute in the oil until translucent. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper as well as the mixed herbs. Peel and grate in the ginger and garlic, stirring to ensure nothing sticks.

After a couple of minutes, add in the chopped vegetables and stir to mix everything thoroughly. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and use the tins to add in water to cover the vegetables.

Add the pasta and give everything a good mix. Leave to simmer over a low heat until the pasta and vegetables are cooked through and the sauce has thickened, around 30 minutes. I like this soup to be quite thick and almost stew like.

I love this soup by itself but its excellent served cheese toastie or with some cheese sprinkled on top for a really indulgent bowl of happiness.

When you make this please tag me using #diaryofadefectivehousewife. Enjoy!