Minestrone - The Monday Soup

If it's Monday, it must her soup day.  This one is quick, easy and vegetarian. Although we love meat, we think it is good to have a couple of meatless days in the week.
Traditionally minestrone has cannelini beans and green beans in it.  I didn't have either this time, so I made it without them. Frozen peas gave it the extra dimension.









To make the soup, gather up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.  I used onion, leek, carrots, celery, tinned tomatoes and frozen peas.  The carrots give it a sweetness that counteracts the acidity of the tomatoes. The second time I served it,  I added a bit of shredded cabbage. If you have left over corn, you can add that too.
Sometimes I add a cup of small pasta shapes for the last 10 minutes to make it more of a meal.

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion
1 clove garlic (chopped or crushed)
1 leek
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped, plus a few of the green leaves if you have them
1 tin plum tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Water and stock cube
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup shredded cabbage (optional)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Method:
Heat the oil gently in a saucepan.
Add the onion, leek, carrots and celery, put the lid on and let the vegetables soften over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Cover the vegetables with water and add a stock cube (if you wish) and the seasoning.
Drain the tin of tomatoes, but save the juice for another recipe, and put the drained tomatoes in the soup.
Add the sugar.
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add the frozen peas and reheat.
Serve.