Hearty Tuscan Bean Soup

Serves 6

2tbls olive oil
200g thick bacon pieces, diced
2 medium onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium carrots, diced
4 sticks celery, diced
2 tin chopped tomatoes
2tbls tomato paste
1/2 medium savoy cabbage, finely shredded
1 medium courgette, diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 litre beef stock
1 tin borlotti beans
6 thick slices of ciabatta bread, toasted
Parmesan cheese, optional

Method:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Cook the bacon till crispy then add the onion, celery, carrot, thyme and garlic and cook until soft.

Stir in the cabbage, courgettes and thyme and wilt them down a little.

Pour in the stock, chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to the boil then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain and rinse the beans and add to the pot for a further 10 minutes.

Season to taste and remove the thyme twigs.

Toast or grill thick slices of the ciabatta. Place on the bottom of a soup bowl and pour over the piping hot soup. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese.

Nutritional Analysis:

Serves 6
per 100g per serving (449 g)

Energy (kcal) 80.0 358.0
Protein (g) 4.2 18.8
Carbohydrate (g) 9.0 40.3
Sugars (g) 2.9 12.8
Total Fat (g) 3.3 14.7
Saturated Fat (g) 0.9 4.0
Fibre (g) 1.8 8.2
Salt (g) 0.6 2.6