Hearty bean soup
SERVES 4 PREP AND COO K TIME 1 HOUR 20 MINUTES (+ SOAKING TIME) start this recipe a da y ahead
⅔ cup (100g) dried broad beans 3 cups (750ml) water
1 litre (4 cups) water, extra 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 125g speck, cut into 1cm dice
20g butter
1 medium (150g) brown onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped finely 4 sprigs fresh thyme 1 medium (120g) carrot, diced
1 stick (150g) celery, trimmed, diced 3 cups (750ml) chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup (250ml) tomato passata rind from a 100g piece of parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), with
1cm cheese remaining
1 small (90g) zucchini, diced
100g green beans, cut into 3cm lengths 50g kale, stalks removed, leaves torn 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley extra virgin olive oil, to serve shaved parmesan, to serve
1 Place the broad beans in a large bowl with the 3 cups of water. Cover; stand overnight or for 12 hours.
2 Drain beans. Rinse well; drain. Place beans in a large saucepan with extra 1 litre of water; bring to the boil. Skim off any white bubbles. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 40 minutes or until tender. Drain. 3 Meanwhile, heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and chopped speck; fry for 3-4 minutes or until lightly golden, then add butter, onion, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes or until soft but not coloured. Season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4 Add carrot, celery and broadbeans; cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
5 Add stock to pan; stir well, scraping browned pieces from base of pan. Add passata and parmesan rind; bring to the boil. Skim away any scum from top of mixture. Place a lid three-quarters over the pan; simmer for 30 minutes. Add the zucchini and green beans; simmer, partially covered, for a further 2-3 minutes or until zucchini is just tender. Discard the thyme and parmesan rind; season to taste. Stir through the torn kale leaves.
6 Ladle soup into bowls; top with parsley, a drizzle of extra oil and shaved parmesan. Soup suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.