Vegan Minestrone with Orzo Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 carrots
• 100 g leeks
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 small zucchini
• 1 onion
• 2 Garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp butter
• 400 g peeled tomatoes (canned)
• 600 ml Vegetable Broth
• 100 g peas (frozen)
• 80 g white beans (canned)
• 125 g orzo pasta
• Salt
• a handful wild garlic
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• a pinch sugar
• wild garlic flower (for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Peel the carrots and cut them into small pieces. Wash, trim and slice the leeks into strips. Rinse the celery, remove any tough strands if necessary, and cut it into about 0.5 cm thick pieces. Wash the zucchini and slice it into about 1 cm thick rounds. Peel and finely dice the onion and garlic. Sauté them in butter until translucent. Drain the canned tomatoes through a sieve and add the liquid to the onion-garlic mixture. Pour in the broth and add the carrots, celery, and leeks. Let simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the drained tomatoes into pieces. Add them along with the zucchini, peas, and drained beans, and cook for another ~5 minutes.

2. 2.

   Cook the orzo in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and add it to the finished soup. Rinse the wild garlic, shake dry, and slice finely. Add this to the soup as well, seasoning with salt, pepper, vinegar, and sugar.

3. 3.

   Serve garnished with wild garlic flowers if desired.