Mighty Minestrone

I have called this mighty minestrone soup/stew/hotpot. It's kind of a happy mix of all three. Mine is packed with veggies, buckwheat and chorizo. Lidl are stocking Buckwheat at the moment (Kasza gryczana) and i cant find the recent but im pretty sure it was around the €1.25-1.60 price range.

Buckwheat despite its name is gluten free and is high in protein and B vitamins. It is also rich in phosphorus, potassium, iron, calcium and lysine. It is a great source of fiber and helps to lower cholesterol, so beneficial for the whole family not just hungry babas.  In one box there are four 100g cook in bag pouches which means it's also good value as it bulks up when cooked, a little goes a long way.

Mighty Minestrone 
Gluten Free
Suitable for freezing

1 white onion or 2-3 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots
1\2 courgettes
1\2 aubergine
2 sticks celery
1 parsnip
1\4 yellow, red and orange pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tin chopped tinned tomatoes
300mls chicken or vegetable stock
100g buckwheat
150g chorizo sausage, remove the skin and cube
Fresh or dried herbs such as oregano, thyme and or flat leaf parsley
Cracked black pepper

Dice the vegetables (except the onion and garlic) into cubes as large or small as you wish and depending on the size of mouths/teeth your catering for. The smaller the cubes the quicker the soup will cook however if too small it might turn to mush. Somewhere around the 1/2 centimeter mark.

Finely dice or slice the onion and crush the garlic. In a large wide based pot  heat a little oil and gently fry the cubed chorizo, when slightly crispy remove and toss in the onion. Turn the heat down and allow to sweat before adding the garlic and a good twist of pepper. They'll soak up all the lovely chorizo oils giving extra mightyness to the soup. Toss in the veggies and stir thoroughly. Add the tomato paste and cook through for a minute or two to cook out any bitterness.

Next add the buckwheat, stock and chopped tomatoes you may need to add some just boiled water to bring the level of liquid to just above the soup mix. You may of come across the term "bouquet garni" before. This is basically a little parcel of herbs, submerged into the mix for the duration of the cooking releasing all their loveliness and then discarded once cooked. Fresh herbs are brilliant when cooking for small ones as they give loads of flavour and therefore a great substitute for salt.
To make the bouquet garni take a small piece of muslin cloth and place your herbs in the centre. If using parsley just use the stalks and keep the leaves for the sprinkling on the finished product (very cheffy). Wrap the muslin into a little parcel and secure with string, and that is it. However it is absolutely perfect to use dried or chopped fresh herb so don't let that stop you.

Cover with a lid and allow to simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes stirring and testing the softness of the vegetables and buckwheat occasionally. If you prefer and more soupy consistency just add more stock or water. Take off the heat and remove the bouquet garni and add the crispy chorizo. Serve in a bowl with grated Parmesan or creme fraiche sprinkled with chopped parsley or chives. Also yummy with garlic bread to mop up the juices at the end.