Winter Soup

A thick vegetable soup which is a delicious meal in itself. Server the soup with thin shavings of Parmesan and warm ciabatta bread.

Cooking Time: 20 Mins Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 leeks, thinkly sliced
• 2 zucchini, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 14-0z chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 14 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
• 8 oz spinach
• 1 oz Parmesan cheese, thinkly shaved
• salt and pepper as needed
• crusty bread , to server

Cooking

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the sliced leeks and zucchini and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, vegetable stock, and garbanzo beans. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer, stirring ocasionally, for 5 minutes.
3. Shred the spinach finely, add to the soup and boil for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the bay leaf. Pour into a soup tureen and sprinkle over the parmesan. Serve with crustly bread or bread of your choice.