Minestra (Thick Vegetable Soup)

This is a staple Maltese dish of which exist hundreds of versions, all with varying vegetables. This is an old recipe, but it is really rich and delicious. If you have the rind of some parmesan cheese add it to the soup, it will leave a wonderful flavour. Just remove it before you blend it. 

Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings

• 200g cauliflower
• 2 carrots
• 200g pumpkin 
• 1 onion
• 2 celery sticks
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tbsp butter

Directions:
Cut all the vegetables into cubes. Start by heating the butter in a pot and frying the onions until tender. Add all the other vegetables, stir, and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in enough water to just cover the vegetables, cover, and boil until the vegetables are all tender (about 20 minutes). Blend and serve. 

Adapted from "Maltese Cuisine" by Anton b. Dougall