Mike van de Elzen: Hearty veggie soup with parmesan, garlic bread

Hearty veggie soup with parmesan, garlic bread:

Serves 6

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

3 carrots, peeled and large diced

1 cup chopped celery

4 bay leaves

1 x 400g can whole peeled tomatoes

1 x 400g can cannellini beans, drained

1.5 ltr water

2 vegetable stock cube

½ tsp toasted and crushed fennel seeds

5 large silver beet leaves, destalked and roughly chopped

Zest of 1 lemon

1 x Ciabatta loaf

Preheat an oven to 180*c

Heat oil in a large pot or cast iron dish. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add carrot, celery and bay leaves. Cook for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, beans, water and stock cube. Cook for 20 minutes and add the lemon zest. Cook on a low heat for another 30 minutes.

Take the ciabatta loaf and slice down ¾ of the way into 1 cm slices. Fill the gaps with a generous amount of Parmesan butter and then wrap in tin foil before placing into the oven for 15 minutes.

Serve the piping hot soup with freshly toasted bread, ripped into pieces.

Parmesan, garlic butter

150g butter, softened

4 tbsp chopped parsley

4 tbsp finely grated parmesan

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

Juice of 1 lemon

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl until well combined.

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