Ham and borlotti bean soup

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A heart warming soup that could be served as a starter or as a main course.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
• 1 red pepper, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 teaspoon paprika powder
• A pinch of chili flakes or to taste
• 150 g cooked ham or gammon, chopped
• 1 litre hot chicken stock
• 400 g can plum tomatoes, chopped
• 400 g can of borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
• 150 g Savoy cabbage, washed and shredded
• small knob of butter
• A handful of fresh basil leaves, torn

Method

1. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions and peppers until softened, about 10 minutes
2. Add the gammon and fry for a few minutes, just to coat well in the flavoured oil
3. Add paprika & chilli flakes and stir well
4. Add the stock, tomatoes and beans; bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until reduced by a quarter
5. Add a third of the soup to a food processor and blend to a puree. Add this back to the soup pan.
6. Add the cabbage and bring back to the boil. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked to your liking
7. Add knob of butter and stir until dissolved

Serving suggestions

Serve with torn basil, grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread

Variations

Try this with a variety of beans such as kidney beans, chick peas or butter beans