Name: White bean soup with garlic crostini
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling; 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced; 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra clove, halved, for rubbing; 1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste; 1.2 kg canned white beans, drained, rinsed; 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (4 cups); 2 fresh bay leaves; 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste; 8 thick slices sourdough bread; To serve: coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and oregano

If you have time, you could make this soup with dried white beans instead of the canned ones; they’ll need to be soaked overnight and cooked for longer.

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped, plus 1 extra clove, halved, for rubbing

1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste

1.2 kg canned white beans, drained, rinsed

1 litre vegetable or chicken stock (4 cups)

2 fresh bay leaves

1½ tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste

8 thick slices sourdough bread

To serve: coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley and oregano

Method

Main

1.Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add onion and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (4-5 minutes), add chilli, stir to combine. Add beans, stock and bay leaves, simmer for 15 minutes, then pulse with a hand-held blender until partially puréed. Add vinegar, season to taste and keep warm.

2.Meanwhile, preheat a char-grill pan over high heat. Drizzle both sides of bread slices with a little olive oil, season to taste and char-grill, turning once, until toasted (1-2 minutes each side). Rub crostini with remaining garlic and place one slice in each serving bowl. Ladle over hot soup, scatter with herbs and serve with remaining crostini.

Styling by Emma Knowles

Styling by Jason Grant