This recipe produces a hearty soup which, when served with warm focaccia bread, makes a meal in itself, perfect for a cold winter day.
preparation time 15 minutes, plus 24 hours soaking the beans
cooking time about 1 to 1¾ hours
serves 6
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
75 g (3 oz) onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1.2 litres (2 pints) vegetable or chicken stock
250 g (8 oz) dried cannellini beans, soaked in cold water for 24 hours, then drained
125 g (4 oz) celery, finely chopped
75 g (3 oz) carrots, finely chopped
50 g (2 oz) leeks, finely chopped
3 medium potatoes, chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
75 g (3 oz) sugarsnap peas, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oil in a deep pan, add the onions and garlic and cook gently for 10 minutes, until tender.
2 Add the stock and bring to the boil, then add all the rest of the ingredients except the parsley, basil and seasoning. Simmer gently until the beans are tender – this can take anything from 45 minutes–11⁄2 hours, depending on the age of the beans.
3 Season well with salt and pepper, stir in the parsley and basil and then serve.