A Winter Minestrone

I like to start the New Year with soup. I feel it brings good luck. No doubt your boy would be happy to carry on with the roast meats, puddings and what have you for another month at least but it’s time to change direction. It doesn’t mean you can’t still eat well. This is delicious. Be guided by what’s available and vary the ingredients to what’s available. This is based on a version by London’s wonderful River Café.

2 tbsp olive oil

2 carrots diced

1 large onion coarsely chopped

4 sticks celery diced

6 cloves garlic

1kg (perhaps a little over) made up of at least 2 of the following: Cavolo Nero, Swiss Chard, Savoy Cabbage, Spinach, roughly chopped.

1 small bunch of parsley chopped

1 400g can peeled plum tomatoes

1 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

A few winter herbs such as Sage, Rosemary or Thyme, chopped

Parmesan to serve

Make a soffrito, by slowly frying the onion, celery and carrot in the oil, getting it very soft. If you’re using Cavolo Nero or Swiss chard, add the stalks along with the garlic, and stir often so it doesn’t catch.

Add the tomatoes, break them up and cook for 10 mins to reduce.

Add half of your winter leaves and 2/3 of the Cannellini beans and all of the stock. Plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Listen to a comedy on Radio 4 Extra with your boy. Sprawl on the sofa as he lies in your arms. Stroke his hair. That way he will understand that this soup is a treat, not a deprivation. He will enjoy the feeling, but not what you’ve done to his hair when he sees it in the mirror. You’ll need to factor in how long it will take him to put it right, in your overall cooking time.

When half an hour is up, check the soup. Add water or stock if needed but this is meant to be quite thick. Send your boy to the bathroom to do what he must with wax, putty or whatever it takes to restore his confidence.

Add the other half of the winter leaves so they barely cook – only a few minutes (You’ll probably need to turn the heat up). This will contrast amazingly with the well-cooked half.

Puree the reserved beans with a ladleful of the soup in a blender and stir this in. Add the herbs and serve in deep bowls, sprinkled over with Parmesan and a trickle of olive oil. This should look very green and good for you but one spoonful will persuade him it’s good. His hair is carefully styled back to normal. He’s beautiful. Life is good. Christmas is behind us, but there’s much to look forward to.

This Minestrone doesn’t have pasta in. You could add some tiny pasta shapes about 8 minutes before the end but I’d be happier with some garlic bread with this. Make sure you both have plenty in case there’s kissing while you’re watching an old black and white movie in the late afternoon.

And do vary the vegetables by what is to hand. We seem to have a load of courgettes and a parsnip, in the organic box so they are certainly going to be diced and added!