Minestrone Soup (serves 8) – Ensure Plus Neutral

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of Ensure^® Plus neutral (200ml)
• Butter (50g)
• 3 teaspoons of olive oil
• Streaky bacon, diced (200g)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 1 heaped teaspoon of tomato puree
• 1 courgette, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 vegetable stock cube dissolved in 1 pint of boiling water
• Pasta (110g)
• 1 tin of haricot beans (400g)
• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

• Wash and drain the beans
• In a large frying pan, melt the butter and oil over a medium heat
• Add bacon and onion, fry for 2-3 minutes until the onions have browned and the bacon is starting to crisp
• Add carrots, celery and leeks, cook for 5 minutes over a high heat, stirring occasionally
• Add the tin of chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, courgette and garlic and bring to the boil
• Add the bay leaves and vegetable stock
• Reduce the heat and add Ensure^® Plus and pasta, bring to simmer (do not boil)
• Cover and cook for 40 minutes
• Add haricot beans and cook for a further 5 minutes
• Serve in a large bowl

Serving suggestions:

• Add a dollop of sour cream
• Serve with grated parmesan cheese and crusty bread

Approximate nutrient content per serving (294g):

Energy:	376kcal
Protein:	20.4g
Carbohydrate:	36.1g
Fat:	16.6g
Fibre:	14.6g