Soupe de haricots frais et tomate

Mother in law Spread’s tomato plants are blossoming and delivering fragrant fruit in every size and colour at the moment. There are, in fact too many to keep up with and when it rained this bank holiday Monday, there was nothing for it but to make this deliciously fresh and satisfying tomato and bean soup. I opted for the traditional way of covering the tomatoes with boiling water to peel them fresh, but you could also use the great modern invention of chopped tinned tomatoes if you want a slight cheat.
 

What you will need

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic

2 tins butter beans

700g chopped tomatoes

1.2 litres of vegetable stock

1 tea spoon chilli flakes

2 bay leaves

Fresh thyme

Fresh parsley

Celery leaves (optional)

Fresh basil

Begin by chopping the onion and garlic and soften in a large pan for 5-10 minutes until translucent.

 

When soft, add in the chopped tomatoes, stock, chillies and all the fresh herbs, Finally, add the drained tins of butterbeans.

 

Bring the soup to the boil, before covering and simmering for 40-45 minutes until reduced and thickened. Remove the bay leave and any thyme stalks.

 

Next, using a potato peeler, slightly squash the butterbeans through the soup.

Serve fresh and hot with some crème fraiche and grated cheese, along with some delicious sour dough bread.