Vegetable & Cannellini Bean Soup

Ingredients

  • 250g (8-9 oz) dried cannellini beans, or 2 x 400g (14 oz) cannellini beans
  • 1 leek
  • 2 onions, peeled and chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 3 carrots, peeled and sliced
  • Small bunch parsley, large stalks removed and chopped
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Several leaves of cavolo nero, or 150g (5 oz) baby spinach leaves, washed
  • 400g (14 oz) waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 400g (14 oz) canned Italian-style tomatoes
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Ciabatta bread, toasted, or bread of choice
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese for serving, optional
  • Freshly ground black pepper or chilli flakes
  • Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling, optional

Method

  1. Soak beans in cold water for several hours. Cook in plenty of fresh water until tender; reserve cooking water.
  2. Trim leek top and bottom then split down the length with a sharp knife. Wash leek thoroughly under running water then chop. Put onions, garlic, carrots, leek and parsley in a large saucepan with olive oil, cover with a lid and cook gently for 30 minutes, until very tender.
  3. Prepare the cavolo nero by stripping the leaves off the stalks (discard stalks). Chop roughly. Add cavolo nero, potatoes, tomatoes and three-quarters of the beans with 2 litres (about 4 pints) cooking liquid (or make up with water). Bring to the boil and cook gently without a lid for 30 minutes.
  4. Purée the rest of the beans with a little bean water and add to the soup. (If using canned beans, add them all now and heat through for 5 minutes. Mash about one-third of the beans and vegetables with a potato masher to thicken the soup.) Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. (If using baby spinach leaves in place of cavolo nero, add now and let spinach wilt and heat through.)
  5. Dish soup into bowls. Finish off with torn pieces of bread, parmesan cheese, black pepper or chilli flakes and a drizzle of oil. Serve immediately.