Cannellini bean, kale and rainbow chard soup

Our kids love soup – blended and smooth or chunky and funky – and this one makes the most of our winter garden veg. At home please add some toasted buttery sourdough rubbed with garlic!

Fresh from the garden: celery, carrots, onion, garlic, potatoes, kale, rainbow chard
Recipe source: Melissa
Serves: 8 or 24 tastes

What to do:

• The night before, soak the cannellini beans in plenty of cold water with a teaspoon of bicarb.
• At the beginning of the lesson, drain and rinse the beans. Add them to the smaller saucepan with plenty of water to cover and the bay leaves. Peel 2 of the garlic cloves and add them whole to the pan. Heat on high to boil and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
• Fill the kettle and set it to boil.
• Wash and shake the celery dry and chop into small pieces. Wash and peel the carrots and chop into small pieces.
• Wash and chop the potatoes into 2cm cubes, leaving the skin on.
• Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and squeeze the remaining 3 cloves of garlic through the press.
• Wash the kale and chard in several changes of water, and then shake dry. Trim the stalks from the kale and discard. Trim the stalks from the chard and chop into 5mm pieces, keeping separate. Roll up the kale and chard leaves and slice or tear into 1cm strips.
• In the larger saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering.
• Add the celery, carrots, and onion, and cook, until the onions are softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute or so, and then add the potatoes and stir to coat.
• Using caution, measure the litre of boiling water into the jug and stir the bouillon in. Add to the vegetables and simmer for about 15 minutes.
• Strain the beans & garlic and add to the vegetables with the kale and chard stalks and simmer for another 10 minutes, then add the chopped chard and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Check for correct seasoning, then ladle out into serving bowls.
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