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.