Tuscan Bean Soup
This is a hearty bowl of soup made simply from left overs. Left over cooked chicken including the carcass then chopped vegetables, tomatoes and cannellini beans – so tasty !
Preparation
If you don’t have chicken stock available then make a quick stock using your stripped chicken carcass. Remove any fat then pop it into a large pan, add an onion (cut in half), a carrot (cut into four), a stick of celery (cut into four) then cover in hot water. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for half an hour. Strain the bones and vegetables and you will need 700ml stock for your soup.
To make the soup:
In a large pan heat the vegetable oil then add the chopped onion and bacon and fry until the bacon is starting to brown and the onion is soft.
Add then the carrot, celery and leek and give a good stir and pop the lid on the pan and leave to “sweat” on the lowest of heats for about 10 minutes.
Remove the lid then add the beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, stock, mixed herbs, salt and pepper and finally the cooked chicken.
Bring to a gentle simmer, replace the lid and cook on a very low heat for about 20 minutes or until the carrot is tender.
You will have a large pan of soup with a fairly thin tomato sauce. Ladle off 4-5 large spoons of the soup into a separate bowl and using a hand blender or liquidiser blitz to a puree. Add this back into the main pan and stir well. Your soup will be transformed into a thick hearty bowl of loveliness. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
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