Winter Warming Vegetarian Chickpea minestrone

It’s gone really cold here. A drop of ten degrees in two days. It’s just the weather for hearty soups and stews.

So we need some inspiration.

What luck that the resident chef had a Facebook post from The Vegetarian Times to inspire us for Meatless Monday.

What better than chickpea minestrone? But vegetarian too.

A massive bowl of orange loveliness. It need plenty of chilli and garlic to ward away those winter coughs and sneezes.

Our version is slightly different. But do check the original.

You will need:

A tbsp of olive oil

One hot chilli

Two chopped medium onions

Three cloves garlic

Four sprigs of thyme

One large cubed, peeled carrot

An onion stock cube

A tin of chopped tomatoes

A carton of tomato passata

A tin of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

One portion of spaghetti broken into 2.5 cm lengths (GF)

Here’s what we did

Fry the onion and cubed carrot in the olive oil

Add the garlic and chilli

And leaves from the thyme

When the onion is soft, add the chickpeas. Continue frying for a few minutes.

Add the stock cube then add the chopped tomato and the passata.

Add the spaghetti pieces

Simmer for 30 minutes

Serve with grated cheese and crusty bread or on its own.

You can also add celery if you like it and if you have any.

Exactly what we needed. And there’s enough for tomorrow’s lunch too.

What veggie delights keep you warm in the colder weather?