Tuscan Bean Soup with Rainbow Chard

No idea why I call my soupTuscan, but I just like the sound of it. This any season soup makes the best of the colourful rainbow Swiss Chard at the moment and if we were in Italy, we would drizzle some beautiful new harvest olive oil over the finished soup.

This soups freezes really well, perfect nourishment to have in the freezer.

Try to source local cheese alternatives, rather than imported cheese. Supporting local artisan producers is such a fantastic way to support the local economy and to support any producer who values quality over quantity.

Serves 4

Spooning the soup over some toasted bruschetta I feel is obligatory!

• 1 bunch Rainbow Chard
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 small onions finely chopped
• 4 carrots diced
• 5 celery sticks diced (or one small bunch)
• 1 fennel bulb, finely chopped (opt)
• 1 tspn chilli flakes
• 1/2 tspn fennel seeds
• 1 x 400g can cannelini beans drained
• 1 x 400g can  chopped tomatoes (about 5 really fresh)
• 500ml vegetable stock

Bruschetta

• 1/2 loaf Sourdough
• 1 garlic clove

1. Remove the colourful stalks of the chard and finely chop. Wash and dry the leaves and chop.
2. Heat a good glug of olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped fennel, onions, celery & carrot and cook gently until soft (15min)
3. Add the fennel seed, chilli and garlic and stir till fragrant (5min) add the tomatoes, season and simmer for 15min, stirring occasionally, add the beans and stock and cook for another 15min.
4. Take the soup of the heat and stir in the chopped chard leaves, the heat will cook the leaves. In a small frying pan, add some oil and gently fry the colourful stalks until slightly soft. Season the soup and add the stalks.
5. Bruschetta: Cut the sourdough into thick slices, toast, rub with a piece of garlic and drizzle with oil. Either break the toast and divide between soups or lay the toast in a flattish bowl and spoon over the soup. Drizzle with some oil and a good grating of some hard cheese.