SOUTHERN ITALIAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS:
Carrot ----------------1 medium sized
Potatoes    -----------2 medium sized
Cabbage -------------1/4 small sized
Tomatoes ------------2 medium sized
Onion-----------------4 cloves
Celery----------------1 inch stalk
Fresh basil-----------6-8 leaves
Olive Oil-------------1 tsp
Salt--------------------to taste
White pepper powder--1/4 tsp
Macaroni-------------1/4 cups

METHOD OF PREPARATION:

1. Peel wash and chop carrot finely.Peel,wash and cut potatoes into very small dices and leaves them in water. Wash and chop cabbage into very small dices.
2. Wash remove the eye of tomatoes and make incision at the bottom. Boil one cup of water and blanch the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes and remove immediately.. 
3. Peel, deseed and puree the tomatoes.. Peel, wash onion and garlic and chop as fine as possible. Wash and chop celery and basil leaves. 
4. Reserve a few basil leaves for garnish. Heat oil in a pan, add onion and garlic and saute until they get translucent. Add celery carrot and potato pieces. 
5. Stir continuously and cook for 5 minutes. Add cabbage and tomatoes and cook stirring continuously. Add salt, white pepper powder, basil and macaroni, stir and add four cups of stock or water and bring it to a boil. 
6. Lower the heat and simmer till the vegetables are cooked and the soup has thickened.
7. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve hot.

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