Slow cooker 12-plant minestrone

Ingredients

For 8 servings

• •1 onion finely chopped
• •2 celery sticks finely chopped
• •1 large carrot finely chopped
• •1 courgette grated
• •5 g parsley leaves and stalks separated, both finely chopped
• •400 g can mixed beans
• •400 g can chopped tomatoes
• •1 c. à soupe tomato purée
• •1 l hot vegetable stock
• •2 c. à café garlic granules
• •1 c. à soupe dried oregano
• •2 bay leaves
• •150 g wholemeal spaghetti broken into small pieces
• •100 g kale or cavolo nero, tough stalks removed, leaves sliced
• •150 g frozen peas
• •2 c. à soupe olive oil
• •handful of seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds (optional)
• •crusty bread rolls to serve (optional)

Method

1. 1.Tip the onion, celery and carrot into a slow cooker (it should have at least 3.5-litre capacity – halve the recipe for a smaller model). Stir in the courgette and parsley stalks. Tip in the beans along with their liquid, the chopped tomatoes and tomato purée, then mix to combine. Add the stock, garlic granules, oregano and bay leaves. Mix, then cook on high for 3-4 hrs until the veg is tender and cooked.
2. 2.Add the spaghetti 20 mins before the end of the cooking time, then add the kale and frozen peas 10 mins later. Continue to cook until the spaghetti and peas are tender. Drizzle over the olive oil and sprinkle over the parsley leaves and seeds, if using. Serve with crusty bread rolls, if you like.