The cold season has arrived and invites us to slow down, savour nourishing meals and cook with greater purpose; think hearty stews, aromatic curries and soul-warming soups, among them the very balmy minestrone soup.
But long hours at the stove are not always practical, especially with rising electricity costs and the challenge of load shedding.
This winter, be inspired by Wonderbag – a revolutionary non-electric, heat-retention cooker that makes it easy to prepare nutritious meals without electricity or fire – saving time, energy and money in the process.
Try this hearty minestrone soup recipe:
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Stove time: 10 minutes
Wonderbag time: two to four hours
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, finely chopped
- 2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp green pesto
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 2 litres of chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 can of cannellini beans
- 100 g chopped courgette
- 50 g dried spaghetti broken into short lengths, or any small pasta such as Ditalini, cooked
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp mixed oregano and thyme
- salt
- ground black pepper
- basil leaves and parmesan cheese to serve
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften.
2. Next, add the garlic, tomatoes, courgette, broth, bay leaves, oregano and thyme. Bring to the boil, then cover the pot with your lid and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Switch off your gas or electricity source, and place a tea towel at the bottom of your Wonderbag. Swiftly transfer your pot into the Wonderbag, cover the Wonderbag with its fabric lid and secure it by pulling the cord tightly.
4. Allow the dish to cook undisturbed for a minimum of two hours, then stir in the pasta. Cover with your lid and return it to the bag to cook the pasta.
5. Serve with black pepper, basil leaves and shavings of parmesan.
* Click here for more recipes using the Wonderbag.
