Dexterdog's Tuscan Bean Soup

[dexterdoglancashire]

Well, not Dexter's exactly - Gillian McKeith!

2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tsp olive oil
2 clery stalks, trimmed and chopped
1 leek, washed, trimmed and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp freshly chopped fresh basil
400g tin organic tomatoes
1 tbsp freshly chopped fresh parsley
410g can no-salt mixed beans

Salsa:
1 tbsp each of chopped yellow, green pepper
1 tsbp chopped red onion

Place the onion and oil in a pan with 1 tbsp water and cook until soft. Add celery and leek and cook until soft. I then added the remaining ingredients except the parsley and beans, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. (I also added some tomato puree to add a bit more flavour!).
Add 250ml boiling water and the parsley and cook for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a further 10 - 15 minutes.

Mix the salsa vegetables and serve in a small side bowl.

Serve the soup in bowls with crusty bread and garnish with the salsa.

Although I wasn't sure, I was pleasantly surprised by the comibination of the cooked and raw veg! DDL

[martini]

I do a very similar Spanish one to this with chorizo. Not the thin sliced stuff - the one you buy like a long sausage - take skin off cut into chunks and fry off slightly and add to the soup.

[dexterdoglancashire]

We like chorizo as well - with plenty of beans and a rich tomato sauce! Haven't made it for a while - thanks for the reminder! DDL

[Earthbabe]

We love chorizo too but don't take the skin off. The folks usually bring 2 or 3 back from Spain each time they return but the Lidl one is a good stand-in. Tend to chuck it in lots of things, pasta sauce, pizza, stew/casserole that needs a little extra (very good with chicken) and of course paella.

Great recipes DDL.

[Slug]

Like Earthbabe, I don't take the skin off when I use chorizo. We use the Lidl one and it's pretty good.

I was having a bit of a kitchen 'use up' recently (i.e. take odds and ends and make something with them). I made a risotto which turned out soooo nice. I put some left over veg in there (beans, peas etc...) and then some left over roast chicken and a bit of left over chorizo.

I made it once since without the chorizo and it just wasn't the same. The flavour from the chorizo in the risotto was amazing (and yes.... it surprised me but it went lovely with the chicken!).

Mmmmm getting hungry!

[dexterdoglancashire]

We could form a "chorizo appreciation society"! DDL