Homemade minestrone

The veggie soup that kids will actually eat - use whatever veg you've got around and a bit of pasta. This version has a tiny pizza on top!

By Simon Rimmer
From Something for the Weekend

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled, sliced
  • 150g/5½oz streaky bacon, diced
  • 4 celerystalks, chopped
  • 2 garliccloves, peeled, finely chopped.
  • 2 carrots, peeled, diced
  • 2 potatoes, peeled, diced
  • 1 litre/1 pint 15¼fl oz beef stock
  • 30g/1oz tomato purée
  • 400g/14 oz canned haricot beans, drained
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp fresh thymeleaves
  • handful chopped fresh parsley
  • 400g/14 oz tomatoes, chopped
  • 100g/3½ oz spaghetti, broken into 2cm/1in pieces
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the croûtons

  • 1 crusty white breadloaf, cut into thick slices
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 200g/7oz mozzarella, torn