White bean soup with parsley

This soup is typical of Greek cooking uncomplicated and using plenty of vegetables, herbs and olive oil. Serve it with crusty bread, feta and olives on the side for an even heartier meal.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

500g mixture of cooked, canned white beans (such as Iima, cannellini and butter beans)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medIum carrots, peeled and diced
2 sticks of celery, diced
2 garlic doves, peeled and finely chopped
4 tomatoes, skinned and roughly chopped
1 tsp tomato puree
1 litre of chlcken or vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Large handful of parsley, leaves chopped
Drizzle of extra virgin alive oil, to serve

1 Drain and rinse the beans under a cold tap until the water runs clear. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Saute the onion in the oil for 5 minutes until it has softened without browning. Add the carrots, celery and garlic and sweat for a further 5 minutes.

2 Stir in the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree, then pour in the stock. Bring to the boil, then tip in the beans. Stir and return the liquid to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are cooked and the liquid has thickened slightly.

3 Check for seasoning, then stir in half the parsley. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls, then sprinkle over the remaining parsley, some freshly ground black pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil to serve.

Text and recipes copyright Gordon Ramsey, The Times, London.

Food prepared and photographed by The Daily Telegraph, Sydney.

Stylist: Kate Murdoch

Photographer: John Fotiadis