Minestrone Soup

This soup has become a household favorite since quite sometime now. It has all the nutrients needed for a balanced meal. It is not necessary to use all the vegetables listed in the recipe; which ever vegetables available on hand can be used to make this soup.

Ingredients
Vegetables (choose from carrot, potato, cauliflower, beans, peas, corn, spinach)
1 cup chopped celery
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoon Maggi tomato ketchup or any other ketchup
2 tomatoes
5 tablespoon chopped coriander (cilantro) or chopped parsley (whichever desired)
1/2 cup cooked pasta (I use whole wheat pasta)
1/2 cup garbanzo beans or kabuli chana (or any other beans desired) soaked for 5-6 hours in water
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
parmesan cheese (optional)
salt for taste
1 teaspoon oil

Method

Chop all the vegetables, onion, tomatoes and celery. Heat a teaspoon of oil and fry the onion and celery for 4-5 minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and 2-3 cups of water and cook for 30-40 minutes till the vegetables and garbanzo beans are soft. Add the tomato paste and ketchup, pasta, parsley, chili powder. Get the soup to a boil till the tomato paste has integrated well in the soup. Add salt for taste. To serve, keep a slice of bread (preferably hard crust bread baked in oven for 10-15 minutes) in a bowl. Pour the soup into the bowl and top it with parmesan cheese. Serve hot.