Ingredients
- 2 × 400 g (14 oz) tins cannellini beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
- 2 garliccloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) silverbeet (Swiss chard), trimmed and roughly chopped
- 1 ripe tomato, diced
- 1 litre (35 fl oz/4 cups) vegetable stock
- 2 small crusty rolls, each cut into 4 slices
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- shaved parmesan cheese, to serve
Method
1. Put one tin of beans and its liquid in a blender and blend until smooth. Drain the other tin and rinse the beans.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan. Sauté the leek, garlic and thyme over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until the leek has softened. Add the celery, carrot, silverbeet and tomato and cook until the silverbeet wilts.
3. Stir the puréed cannellini beans and stock into the vegetable mixture. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Add the drained beans and stir until heated through. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
4. Place 2 slices of bread in each soup bowl. Stir the vinegar into the soup and ladle it over the bread. Scatter with parmesan and serve.
