Prepped and ready to cook

If the weather is foul on Sundays and I cant get out, like today, its blowing a gale, and the rain is falling sideways, then I often retreat to my kitchen and cook. I am in the habit of batch cooking, and frequently make more than we could possibly ever eat. But it means I can freeze things and have healthy meals prepared in advance, and all I need to do  remember to take it out the night before. If this fails, there is always the defrost cycle on the microwave!

Soup is a really good one for batch cooking, the quantities  above will happily serve 8 - 10 people depending on their appetites.   Once its cooked I batch it up into 2 portion servings, cool it and then freeze. Perfect for lunches with some home made bread, I favour sunflower seed  wholemeal rolls with this, and maybe a grating of Parmesan  Cheese too.  Another ingredient I add  occasionally when warming it back up is finely shredded Savoy cabbage, it looks really pretty, adds a sweetness and crunch, and well, I am a big cabbage fan anyway! By the time the soup is thoroughly heated through, the cabbage is as cooked as I like it. I have put the ingredients and method below, but you dont have to stick to this list, add peas or sliced beans, or any of the other root veggies that take your fancy; Celeriac, Parsnips, Swede all work too, and I suspect squash and sweet potatoes would too, although they would sweeten the soup considerably.

To serve 4

2 tbsp Olive Oil

2oz  derinded, chopped smoked bacon or pancetta

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 sticks of celery, diced

2  turnips, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1 large potato, diced

140z can of chopped plum tomatoes (in season fresh skinned and chopped)

120z can of cannellini beans ( or same weight of dried and soaked the night before)

20z pasta, any sort will do, but I prefer one of the small soup pastas, or penne.

1tbsp plain flour

2 1/2 pints veg stock

Salt and fresh ground black pepper to season to taste

2oz of peas or sliced beans ( any type will do ) - optional

40z sliced white cabbage, I like savoy or spring greens best - optional

Parmesan to serve, grated with crusty bread

Method:

Heat the oil in a large heavy based pan and saute the bacon for 2 minutes, add the diced celery, onions and garlic, and stir for a further 3 minutes, until they have softened a little.

Add the turnips and carrots, stirring for another 2 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and add the plain flour, stirring thoroughly to coat all the vegetables.

Add the chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock, and bring to the boil, stirring all the time as it thickens. reduce heat to a simmer, and add diced potatoes. Cover the pan with a lid, and allow to simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the cabbage, peas, beans if using, and simmer for a further 10 minutes covered.

Add the pasta and the cannellini beans and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked to your liking. Season to taste and serve with grated Parmesan  Cheese and fresh crusty bread.

Enjoy!