How to make the perfect minestrone soup and the common mistakes to avoid

Full of protein and vegetables, minestrone is the original one-bowl meal

Minestrone soup is the perfect make-ahead dinner.

Is this going to take ages? 

Despite what most people think, minestrone is a relatively quick soup to make. The best thing about this chunky Italian soup is that the flavours intensify over time, so it's the perfect make-ahead soup. I keep a large vat of it in the fridge during January, shredding in kale, spinach or cabbage to individual portions as I heat it up