chicory and cannellini bean soup

zuppa di cicorie e cannellini

for 6

1.5 kg catalogna chicory

250 g dried cannellini beans, cooked (see here), cooking water retained

Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

extra virgin olive oil

6 thick-fleshed, fresh red chillies

juice of 1 lemon

Remove the tough outer leaves from the chicory. Pull the leaves away from the heart, cutting away any rib base of the leaf that seems tough. Blanch the chicory leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and roughly chop.

In a thick-bottomed saucepan heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and cook the garlic until soft. Add the chicory and cook for another 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

In a food processor briefly pulse three-quarters of the cannellini beans, adding some of the reserved cooking liquid. Combine with the chicory and stir, adding more liquid, keeping in mind that this soup should be very thick. Add the remaining whole beans, season with salt and pepper, and add a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

Cut the chillies open lengthways, leaving the stalk on, so they remain whole, and remove the seeds. Heat the remaining olive oil, and gently fry the chillies until they are soft. Squeeze a little lemon juice over them.

Reheat the soup and pour into serving bowls. Place a chilli on top of each portion of soup and drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil.