Name: Winter cannellini bean soup
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 4 shallots finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves finely chopped; 1 carrot finely chopped; 2 celery sticks, finely chopped; 2 leeks finely chopped; 140g streaky bacon finely chopped; 1.4l chicken stock or vegetable stock (Kallo is good); 2 bay leaves; 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano or marjoram or ½ tsp dried; 2x 450g cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed; a handful of flatleaf parsley chopped; extra-virgin olive oil; 6 tiny parsley sprigs

1 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots
finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
finely chopped
1 carrot
finely chopped
2 celery
sticks, finely chopped
2 leeks
finely chopped
140g streaky bacon
finely chopped
1.4l chicken stock
or vegetable stock (Kallo is good)
2 bay leaves
2 tsp chopped fresh oregano
or marjoram or ½ tsp dried
2x 450g cans cannellini beans
drained and rinsed

On the day

a handful of flatleaf parsley
chopped
extra-virgin olive oil
6 tiny parsley
sprigs

Method

step 1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and tip in the shallots, garlic, carrot, celery, leeks and bacon. Cook over a medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.
step 2
Pour in the stock, then add the bay leaves and oregano or marjoram. Season and bring to the boil, then cover the pan and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Tip in the beans, cover again and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
step 3
Pour the soup into a freezer container and leave it to cool completely, then seal, label and freeze for up to a month.
step 4
Defrost the soup at room temperature for 3 hours, (or overnight).
step 5
Tip into a saucepan, reheat gently until bubbling, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning. Swirl in the chopped parsley, ladle into warm bowls and top each with a drizzle of olive oil and a parsley sprig.