Greek Bean Soup

It is freezing for August. The boy and I are layering up  as we refuse to put the heating on in mid-August. A hearty soup is the answer.

500g dried haricot beans (or other white beans)

A good glug olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

400g can of chopped tomatoes

1tbsp tomato paste

2 carrots, chopped

1 celery stalk chopped (keep the leaves)

1 small dried chilli

1 small green bell pepper, chopped

1 litre water

Pepper

Bread, olives and pickles to serve

You need to soak the beans overnight. I find this supremely satisfying. I love watching them plump up ever so slowly. Next morning put on some Rembetika music and drain and rinse them. Put them in a pan with water to cover – bring to the boil and then let them simmer for 30 minutes. They shouldn’t be quite tender as they will finish cooking in the soup. Drain and put to one side.

The boy has done a fair bit of the chopping, so he may as well sauté the veg. They need to be soft. Meanwhile blend the tomatoes and tomato paste. I admit to buying a huge can of Greek tomato paste because I love the design on the tin. Once washed I will keep pencils in it.

Once the onions, carrots and celery are soft, add the green pepper and celery leaves. Crumble in the chilli. Pour in the water – ideally boiled in a kettle first, and tip in the drained beans.

Give it a stir and that is pretty much soup. Simmer for an hour to 90 minutes. This will allow some of the beans to break down and thicken the soup. You may need to add more water so it is still recognisably a soup. Nothing to do now, but wait. The boy is playing with his cat.

When it is ready, grind in plenty of pepper. Serve with bread- I think any kind with sesame seeds would be really good. I’ve put out a small side plate for each of us with a selection of olives and pickles. The sharpness cuts through the chalkiness of the beans. I notice that the boy avoids the pickled chillies, even though they are the big mild ones. Never mind. More for me.