Bean and rosemary soup

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra (according to taste)

2 onions, finely chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary leaves

a few sage leaves, finely chopped

4 celery ribs, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp tomato purée or tomato paste

2 x 14oz (400g) cans cannellini beans

4 cups hot chicken stock

2lb (2.5kg) potatoes, cut into ½in (1cm) cubes

Method:

1 Heat the oil in a large saucepan, add the onions, and cook over low heat for 6–8 minutes or until soft. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then stir in the rosemary, sage, celery, and garlic and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

2 Stir through the tomato purée and beans, add a little more olive oil if you wish, and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil, then add the potatoes and simmer gently for 15 minutes or until cooked. Taste and season again with salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Cool.

3 Transfer to a freezer-proof container. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months.

4 To serve, defrost in the refrigerator overnight, then transfer to a saucepan and simmer until piping hot. Add a little hot stock if the soup is too thick.

Bean and rosemary soup