My Zero Waste Kitchen

STALE BREAD, LEFTOVER GRAINS , or PASTA PIECES transform this hearty vegetable soup into a delicious zero-waste meal.

SERVES 4–6

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 onion, finely chopped, about 100g (3½oz)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 carrot, finely chopped, about 100g (3½oz)

1 celery stick, finely chopped, about 75g (2½oz)

1 tsp dried rosemary

a generous pinch of chilli powder

400g (14oz) fresh tomatoes, chopped, or 400g can chopped tomatoes

1 courgette, finely chopped, about 150g (5½oz)

85g (3oz) kale leaves and stalks, finely chopped, tough stalks discarded

1–1.2 litres (1¾–2 pints) vegetable stock

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

50g (1¾oz) Parmesan cheese, shaved (optional)

small handful basil leaves, to garnish

first make the base

1 Heat the oil in a large, lidded pan on a low–medium heat.

2 Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, rosemary, and chilli powder, and cook gently for about 10 minutes with the lid askew, until the vegetables are soft.

3 Add the tomatoes, courgette, kale, and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and continue to simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes.

4 Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan shavings (if using), and garnish with fresh basil.

now zero-waste it!

leftover beans and stale bread

Add about 250g (9oz) leftover ready-to-eat beans , such as cannellini or borlotti, at step 3, and top with 100g (3½oz) diced, dried bread “croutons” , at step 4.

parmesan rinds and leftover pasta

Add 2–3 leftover Parmesan cheese rinds to the soup and 75g (2½oz) dried pasta at step 3, making sure you follow the cooking time of the pasta. Alternatively, add 225g (8oz) leftover cooked pasta towards the end of step 3 to heat through. Remove the rinds before serving.

leftover grains or pulses

Add about 250g (9oz) leftover cooked grains or pulses , such as buckwheat, brown rice, or lentils, to your soup towards the end of step 3. Heat through before serving.