Tuscan Bean Soup

Ingredients

 * 2 x 435 g (15 oz) cans haricot beans
 * 1 liter (1¾ pints) vegetable stock
 * salt and pepper to taste
 * 150 ml (¼ pint) quality olive oil
 * 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
 * 25 g (1 oz) chopped parsley
 * parsley sprigs to garnish

Directions

 * 1) Drain the haricot beans, rinse well and drain.
 * 2) Put half of them in a large pan with the vegetable stock.
 * 3) Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
 * 4) Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding a little water if the soup is too thick.
 * 5) Return to the pan, season and add the remaining whole beans.
 * 6) Reheat.
 * 7) Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a separate pan and fry the garlic slices until golden.
 * 8) Add to the soup with the remaining oil and chopped parsley.
 * 9) Serve garnished with parsley sprigs.