Southern Italian Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1) Carrot 1 medium sized 

2) Potatoes 2 medium sized 

3) Cabbage 1/4 small sized 

4) Tomatoes 2 medium sized 

5) Onion 1 medium sized 

6) Garlic 4 cloves 

7) Celery 1 inch stalk 

8) Fresh basil 6-8 leaves 

9) Olive oil 1 tsp 

10) Salt to taste 

11) White pepper powder to taste 

12) Macaroni 1/4 cup 

13) Vegetable stock or water 4 cups 

Method:

1. Wash and peel the carrot and chop it into very small dices. 

2. Peel potatoes, cut into very small dices and leave them in water. 

3. Cut cabbage into very small dices. 

4. Wash, remove the eye of the tomato and make a small incision at the bottom. 

5. Boil water and blanch the tomatoes for one to two minutes and remove immediately. 

6. Peel, deseed and puree or mince the tomatoes. 

7. Peel onion and garlic and chop as finely as possible. 

8. Wash and chop celery and basil leaves, reserve a few basil leaves for garnish. 

9. Heat olive oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and saute till they turn translucent. 

10. Add cerley, carrot and potato pieces. 

11. Stir continuously and cook for five minutes. 

12. Add cabbage, tomatoes and cook stirring continuously. 

13. Add salt, white pepper powder, basil and macaroni, stir & add stock or water & bring it to boil. 

14. Lower the flame and simmer till the vegetables are cooked and the soup has thickened. 

15. Garnish with fresh basil.