A hearty, fresh soup full of rustic Italian flavours. For tips on types of beans and how to store, soak and cook them, visit our Know How page.
Ingredients
- 150g dried borlotti beans
- 150g dried cannellini beans
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 300g waxy potatoes, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- Sprig of fresh rosemary
- About 1.1 litres vegetable
- stock, hot
- 200g savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
- 6 tsp fresh green pesto
- Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
- Parmesan or Grana Padano shavings, to serve
Method
- 1. Put the beans in a bowl of cold water and soak overnight. Drain, place in a large saucepan with 1 litre of fresh water and bring to the boil. Skim off any scum from the surface, then simmer rapidly, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking water.
- 2. Add the onion, celery, carrots, potatoes and the herbs to the beans. Add enough stock to the cooking water to make 1.75 litres. Pour the liquid over the beans and simmer for 45 minutes until the beans are really tender. Stir in the cabbage and extra stock if the soup is too thick. Simmer for a further 3-4 minutes until the cabbage is tender. Season.
- 3. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the pesto and a little oil and top with the cheese.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 347kcals, 11.3g fat (2.3g saturated), 26.3g protein, 41.6g carbs, 6.7g sugar, 1.7g salt
Chef's tip
Strict vegetarians should use vegetarian Parmesan and pesto.