Bean Soup

• This is a lovely winter soup.
• It would once have been made with reconstituted dried beans but now it is easy to open tins of beans.
• Any white beans are good such as Haricot, Cannellini or even Black-eyed beans.
• This can be made in a stock pot on the cooker or in the oven however I find that using a large slow cooker to cook it makes life a lot easier.

Ingredients

• 2 tins of white beans such as Haricot, Cannellini or Black-eyed beans.
• 3 large carrots
• 2 onions
• 1½ litres of vegetable stock – can be from a cube or powder
• 150g smoked bacon.
• 8 peppercorns
• 3 allspice grains
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram  or 1 tablespoon of fresh
• Butter to fry the onions.
• Salt & pepper to season – may not be necessary depending on the bacon and stock.
• Chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives to garnish when serving

Method

• Chop the onions into small pieces.
• Gently fry the onions till golden.
• Chop the carrots into circles and halve or quarter them.
• Chop the bacon into small pieces.
• Drain the beans from the cans.
• Put all the ingredients into a pot.
• Bring to the boil and then simmer – or use a slow cooker.
• Cook until the carrots are soft.
• Allow the soup to cool slightly.
• Remove about half of the beans and carrots with a slotted spoon and put them in a bowl.
• Purée the soup left in the pan – using a stick blender is good.
• Put the beans and carrots back into the soup and stir.
• Bring back to the boil and simmer for a couple of minutes.
• Garnish with chopped flat-leaf parsley or chives.

Royal Doulton – Tapestry soup plate – 1966 to 1988.