Chorizo and minestrone soup

Serves:

Ingredients

• 1 medium brown onion, diced small
• 1 medium carrot, diced small
• 1 celery stick, diced small
• 1 large potato, diced small
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 4 cups shredded cabbage (approx ¼ cabbage)
• 4 cups water, or stock
• 2 parmesan skins (see Notes, below)
• 1 chorizo sausage, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large beef tomato, diced
• 1 tsp oregano
• 400g can kidney beans, drained
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped

Method

Turn your slow cooker on HIGH and place the first 12 ingredients into it.

Give a little stir and push the harder vegetables – potato and carrot – to the bottom.

Place the lid on top and cook for 4 ½ hours, occasionally stirring to make sure cabbage is all wilted. Cabbage should be covered in liquid after 2 hours.

Put beans and chopped parsley in and cook for a further 30 minutes

Remove crock from pot, check seasoning and serve.

Serving Suggestions

Note

• The parmesan skins really make the flavour of this great soup. Next time you buy a block of parmesan just keep the ends in glad wrap in the fridge or go to your closest deli and ask if they have extras you can buy.
• I leave the parmesan skins in for added flavour; just make sure you don’t serve them up!
• This soup keeps really well and is yummier the longer it sits.
• When serving, shave extra parmesan on top and a few chilli flakes for mum and dad. If you have pesto in the fridge, a teaspoon of that gives it a different edge.
• Recipe created by Camilla Baker for Kidspot, New Zealand’s best recipe finder.