Portrait of a recipe

Josephine Moon prefers gluten-free and dairy free dining – which is a bit of a challenge when dining Italian. So we settled on this simple, elegant and oh-so satisfying Tuscan Bean Soup, with pecorino cheese on the side. This is perfect dining in warm Autumnal weather. Pair it with a delicious glass of wine, good company and a beautiful table-setting and you will be transported to the golden, rolling hills of Italy. It’s so easy to prepare it’s become a staple on our repertoire of soups.

Ingredients

  • 1 large leek (or 2 small ones)

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 large potato

  • 1 parsnip

  • Half a head of cauliflower

  • 1 carrot

  • 2 cans of cannellini beans (drained of juice)

  • 4 cups of stock (we used lamb bone broth)

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • The leaves of a few sprigs of fresh thyme (just pick them, wash them and use your fingers to strip the sprigs.)

  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice

  • Optional: Pecorino cheese grated on top to serve

Method

Chop all your vegetables

Fry your leek and garlic in olive oil until fragrant.

Add the rest of your chopped vegetables and mix thoroughly, allowing to cook for a few minutes.

Add water just to the top of the vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add your stock and cook for half an hour, longer if you have the time.

Allow liquid to reduce a little if it seems to watery, otherwise proceed to blending.

Blend half your soup until creamy then return to the pot. (Or blend three quarters, or even the whole lot. It depends how you like your soup.)

Add your salt, pepper, thyme and lemon juice and heat through.

Serve with sprigs of thyme for garnish and a side of crusty bread, and your pecorino cheese if using.

Image Credit: Claire Absolum