We start the minestrone with a soffritto of carrot, celery, onion and garlic which we cook gently till soft and sweet, then add tomatoes and a whole load of shredded silverbeet, cabbage, herbs and (the secret ingredient) parmesan rinds. We cook this down for hours until it's almost a stew before adding cooked white beans and fresh green parsley. 

Carrots, onion, celery, garlic, silverbeet, Savoy cabbage, parsley, tomatoes, tomato paste, Great Northern beans, thyme, parmesan rinds, olive oil, sodium bicarbonate, salt, water. (animal rennet used in parmesan)

• Individual:Serves one adult.
• Small:Serves two adults.
• Large:Serves 4-5 adults.
• Extra Large:Serves 6 adults.

INDIVIDUAL: Can be reheated straight from frozen in a microwave.  Heat in bursts of a couple of minutes, stirring in between, till piping hot.  Alternatively, defrost and reheat in a saucepan.  Add a little water if desired.

SMALL: Defrost before reheating in a saucepan or microwave, stirring occasionally, till piping hot - add a little stock or water if you need to, but it's meant to be almost as thick as a stew.

Defrost information:  Defrost overnight in the fridge.  For a quick defrost, place in a sink of warm water and ensure that the defrosted dish then reaches 70C (piping hot) within two hours of beginning the defrosting process.  Once defrosted, reheat as above and consume within 48 hours.