Vegetable Pasta Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

Vegetable Stock:
1 large onion, cubed
2 zucchini, thickly sliced
1 leek, sliced and washed
1 carrot, sliced
1 stick celery, sliced
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
6 cups hot tap water
Soup:
2 carrots, cubed
1 leek, sliced and washed
1 stick celery, sliced
26 ounce (810 g) can whole tomatoes, salt-free
13.5 ounce (425 g) can tomato puree
1 1/2 cups small pasta twists
2 zucchini, sliced
4 ounces (125 g) button mushrooms, sliced
Freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco sauce

Microwave Method:

Vegetable Stock:

1. Combine all vegetable stock ingredients in a 5 quart (litre) casserole dish.
2. Cover and cook for 25-30 minutes on HIGH, stirring halfway through cooking.
3. Allow to cool for 3-4 hours.
4. Drain stock from vegetables, reserving stock (discard vegetables).

Soup:

1. Combine vegetable stock, carrot, leek, celery, tomatoes and tomato puree.
2. Cover and cook for 18-22 minutes on HIGH, stirring halfway through cooking.
3. Stir in pasta. Cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes on HIGH.
4. Stir in zucchini and mushrooms.
5. Cook, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes on HIGH.
6. Season with pepper and Tabasco sauce to taste.

This recipe contains no fat.