Minestrone soup

olive oil

100g bacon, chopped (optional)

2 onions, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 potatoes, cubed

½ cauliflower in florets

¼ drumhead or hard cabbage, sliced

2 tbsp tomato purée

2 courgettes, sliced into sticks

2 carrots, sliced

1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

2 tins of chopped tomatoes

3 celery sticks, peeled to remove stringy bits and cut into batons

400g tin white beans (cannellini)

basil, to garnish

Parmesan, to garnish

2l chicken or vegetable stock