Borlotti Bean & Potato Soup Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 lb (450 g) borlotti beans
• 1 largish onion
• 1 lb (450 g) potatoes
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic
• Olive oil for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 1 or 2 dried chilli peppers finely chopped (if you like it hot!)

Method:

1. Soak the beans overnight. Drain. Put into a large saucepan with 4 pints (2.3 litres) of water, cover and cook until soft.
2. Peel and slice the onion, peel and finely dice the potatoes, crush the garlic and saute all together gently in the olive oil (along with the dried chilli peppers if you’re using them).
3. When the beans are cooked, put about half of them along with half of the water they were boiled in thorough a blender or push through a sieve to make a puree.
4. Add the rest of the beans and the puree to the onion and potato and bring to the boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer, season with salt and pepper to taste and cayenne pepper, and cook for about another 20 minutes.
6. Serve hot.

Makes enough soup for 8  – 4 for now and 4 for freezing.