Risoni minestrone with beef and vegetables

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan.

2. Sauté the onions until softened, remove and set aside. Add in the celery and cook for 2 minutes and remove. Fry the potatoes until golden on all sides, add a little more oil if needed and then set aside with the onions and celery.

3. Add in the beef and brown on all sides. Stir in the minced garlic, cover with the water and bring the water to the boil. Season with salt and a generous grinding of freshly cracked black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes. You may need to skim off any impurities that appear on top of the soup.

4. When the meat is tender, add in the onions, potatoes, celery and the risoni and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the peas and cook for a further 2 minutes or until the risoni is al dente.

5. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated parmesan and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.