Soup with a difference!
Ingredients
- 1 medium sized onion (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium carrots (diced)
- 2 medium courgettes (diced)
- 2 sticks celery (sliced)
- 1 (1lb) tin of chopped tomatoes
- 1 bayleaf
- good pinch of dried basil
- 2 sage leaves
- 1 small sprig of fresh rosemary
- sea salt
- coarse ground black pepper
- fresh parsley
- 2 (1lb) tins of butter beans
- rosemary croutons:
- 3 thick slices of sourdough bread or ¼ baguette (diced)
- (good way to use up old bread)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 0.25 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5).
- Begin by boiling a kettle full of water, (to save time use boiling water for the stock).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot, dice the onion and add to the pot with the garlic.
- Saute for 2/3 minutes and add the celery, carrots, courgette, tomatoes, bayleaf, sage and rosemary.
- Add 1 pint of boiled water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, place a lid on top and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Make the Croutons
- Cut the bread into bite size pieces. Place on a baking tray.
- Chop the garlic and the rosemary very fine and sprinkle on the bread, pour the olive oil over the bread and herbs and toss well together.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8/10 minutes until lightly browned.
- Drain 1 tin of beans and blend until smooth. Drain the other tin and add both to the soup and stir well.
- Thin the soup with boiled water if needed.
- Season with salt and pepper and garnish with plenty of finely chopped fresh parsley.
- Serve garnished with the rosemary croutons.
