Spring Vegetable Soup

 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced or finely sliced
• 2 leeks cleaned and sliced
• 2 stalks of celery chopped
• 2 carrots peeled and sliced
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 a good handful of flatleaf parsley chopped, including the stems
• 2 zucchini/courgettes halved long ways and sliced
• 1-8 ounce /250g bag fresh baby spinach
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 ounce /225g pasta
• grated Parmesan cheese for serving

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until the onion is translucent.
• Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• Add the leeks, celery, and carrots. Cook until they start to soften slightly
• Add the stock and parsley. Raise the heat to high, bring to a boil. Once the soup has come to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
• While the soup simmers, cook the pasta according to package instructions and set aside until needed.
• Add the zucchini and simmer another two minutes.
• Add the spinach and simmer an additional two minutes.
• Add the cooked pasta
• Salt and pepper to taste
• serve with grated Parmesan cheese