Minestrone

Cut 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, and 1 zucchini into similarly sized small pieces so each spoonful cooks evenly. Finely chop 3 garlic cloves and hold them separately. Warm 3 tablespoons olive oil in a pot over medium heat, then cook the onion, carrots, and celery for about 6 minutes. Add the garlic only after the firmer vegetables soften and the onion edges turn translucent. Cook it for 30 seconds, stopping before it browns. Crush in 400 g whole peeled tomatoes and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Pour in 1200 ml vegetable stock, then add the zucchini and 400 g canned kidney beans. Bring the pot to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 20 minutes so the vegetables and beans flavor the broth without being broken apart by a violent boil. Add 100 g ditalini directly to the soup and stir the bottom well. Cook for about 8 minutes, checking for a slightly firm al dente center. The starch released by the pasta will thicken the broth as it cooks. If the finished soup becomes tighter than intended, loosen it with a little more hot stock rather than cold water. Turn off the heat before adding 10 g fresh basil and a final drizzle of olive oil, preserving their fresh aroma. Other leftover vegetables can be incorporated using the same order: sturdy pieces early, quick-softening pieces later, and pasta only for its final cooking time.