This is a delicious soup that is filling and nutritious. I wouldn’t advise you serve this soup as a starter, it is practically designed for cosy eating in front of the fire on a dark winters evening. The beans and dry cure sausage can be varied to those of your choice; personally I find that these three provide a good mixture of flavours, while the peppered salami adds a little extra flavour. The quantities shown in this recipe serve 4 as a main course when served with crusty bread.

Ingredients

• 200g Bacon bits, diced or cut into pieces
• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Leek, thinly sliced
• 2 small Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 500ml Chicken stock
• 100g Green pesto
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 150g Peppered salami, cut into bite sized pieces
• 150g tinned Butter beans
• 150g tinned Cannellini beans
• 150g tinned Flageolet beans

Method

1. Dry fry the bacon pieces for approximately 5 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked.
2. Add the onion, garlic and leek and fry for a further 5 minutes, or until the onion is softened.
3. Add the stock, pesto and black pepper, as well as the sweet potato and boil for 10 minutes.
4. Add the beans and salami to the soup and boil for a further 5 minutes. Serve the soup immediately with plenty of crusty bread.