Bill Granger cooks up a tasty bean and pasta soup to keep you warm on the chilly days ahead.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
A few sprigs thyme
750ml good vegetable stock
150g small pasta
400g can chopped tomatoes
400g can giant butter beans, drained
400g can flageolet beans, drained
200g baby leaf spinach
Zest and juice 1 unwaxed lemon
125g buffalo mozzarella, drained and torn
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a large, heavy based pan. Add the onion, celery and carrots and fry for 15 minutes or until golden and starting to soften, stirring often to make sure the veg doesn't stick.
2. Add the garlic and herbs and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to the boil then add the pasta and cook until almost tender.
3. Add the tomatoes and butter beans and continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the beans are hot.
4. Remove from the heat, tip in the spinach and allow the leaves to wilt into the soup. Season with plenty of salt, pepper and lemon juice. Ladle in serving bowls and top with mozzarella, lemon zest and a glug of good extra virgin olive oil.