Minestrone Soup

Ingredients (serving for four):

- 2 celery stalks, chopped in small pieces

- 1 carrot, chopped in small pieces

- 2 tomatoes, diced

- 1/2 cup tomato sauce

- 1/4 cup kidney bean, cooked

- 1/4 cup chickpea, cooked
- 1 cup of green beans (or peas), chopped in 1cm long pieces
- 2 cups beef stock, chicken stock, or water

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 tsp of corn starch

- 1 tsp of salt

- 1 tbsp of olive oil

- 1 tsp of oregano or tarragon

- 1 tsp of thyme

- 1 tsp of parsley

- 1 bay leave

Preparation:

- Heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute until the garlic aroma comes out. Then add celery and carrots and stir for another minute.

- Mix corn starch into vegetables until no white starch can be seen. Add tomato, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chick peas, green beans, and beef stock (chicken stock or water). Turn up the heat to boil. When soup boils, add oregano (or tarragon), thyme, and bay leave.

- Turn the heat down to simmer for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Stir occasionally to avoid sticking.