Consuming Passions - Worldwide Events Managers

Poor Man’s (or Woman’s) Bean Soup

Serves: 6-8

Notes

Recipe from Robert Castellani, Executive Chef at Donovans in St Kilda, Melbourne

Ingredients

• 4 carrots
• 4 red onions
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 small bunch of silverbeet
• 1 bunch continental parsley
• 1 loaf of sourdough bread (or other serious bread) cubed
• 2×800g tins whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 bulb garlic, peeled
• Rind of parmesan
• 500g fresh borlotti beans
• 700g cannellini beans
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for drizzling)
• Handful of yesterday’s bread, torn

Method

Cook the soaked white beans in a separate pot until they are soft – about 40 minutes. Cut the vegetables into rough shapes and sweat them in a bit of oil with the garlic in a large pot until soft, with the lid on. De-crust the sourdough loaf and soak it in the water (enough to cover loaf), until it is mushy or porridgy. Blend the whole peeled tomatoes with 3/4 of the cannellini beans into the vegetables. Reserve the other 1/4 for garnishing. Add all the remaining ingredients and just cover with water. Cover the pot and put into the oven for 2 hours at 180°C. Add a chunk of yesterday’s bread to each bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.