This hearty and nutritious Minestrone soup is great to use the vegetables we have at home and those that are in season and for a good price in the market. If you want to keep it vegetarian, just skip the bacon and go straight to the veggies. This recipe makes a big soup of 6 to 8 servings.

INGREDIENTS:
100 gr of Pancetta or Bacon (optional)
2 cloves of garlic
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 stalks of celery
1 leek
2 zucchini
1 piece of pumpkin
3 small potatoes
250 gr of green beans
1/2 green cabbage
2 or 3 chard leaves
200 gr of kidney beans or navy beans
100 gr of rice
3 leaves of sage
1 sprig of rosemary
a handful of fresh parsley
1 1/2 Liters of water
salt and pepper
4 tblsp olive oil
finely grated Parmesan cheese to serve