OLIVE HARVEST VEGETABLE SOUP

This vegetable-rich soup is a celebration of the first pressing of the season’s new olive oil, which is drizzled over the dish just before serving.

  Time: 1 hour
  Difficulty: moderate
  Serves: 6

  INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped

• 1 carrot, chopped

• 1 leek, sliced

• 1 head of garlic, cloves separated but left whole

• 1 celery stick, chopped

• ½ fennel bulb, chopped

• 1 litre stock

• 1 bunch of chard, sliced

• I bunch of kale, chopped

• 100 g fresh peas

• 2 tomatoes, diced

• 1 potato, peeled and diced

• 1 zucchini, sliced

• I slice of pumpkin, diced

• ¼ cauliflower, cut into large dice

• 500 g canned borlotti beans, drained

• 500 g canned cannellini beans, drained

• a few sage leaves

• a few sprigs of thyme

• toasted rustic bread: 1 slice per portion of soup

• salt and pepper, to taste

• extra virgin olive oil, to taste

METHOD

Sauté the onion, garlic and leek with four tablespoons of oil; when softened, add a ladle of hot water to the pan, then add the celery, carrot and fennel, and cook for about 15 minutes.

Next, add the stock, kale, caulliflower and chard and cook for another 10 minutes or so.

Next go in the peas, sage and tomato, zucchini, pumpkin and potato; cook until the potato is tender. Combine the beans and divide into two parts; Roughly puree half and  add this to the vegetable soup, seasoning with salt and pepper and a few leaves of thyme.

Now add the whole beans, simmer for about ½ hour, adding a little water if necessary. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve the soup ladled over slices of toasted sourdough bread and drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.