Feeding everyone at the moment is becoming really time consuming as one wants this and the other wants that.  I have decided that I am going to make a huge batch of soup and the boys can have a bowl for dinner or lunch with some of my mums sourdough to dip into.

Here is my recipe for vegetable soup, it works with any vegetables that are hanging around in your fridge that need to be used up.  It a perfect pantry staple recipe too as it only needs a few ingredients.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

1 leek washed and sliced
2 carrots chopped
1 onion chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 litre chicken stock
1 x 400g tin of butter beans or cannellini beans
1 bunch of fresh spinach, kale or tuscan cabbage chopped roughly
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 clove of garlic crushed
salt and pepper

1. In a deep saucepan add in the olive oil over a medium high heat.  Add in your onions, leek and carrot and cook for around 10 minutes until slightly softened.  Add in the garlic and cook gently for 5 minutes being careful not to burn.

2.  Add in the tomato paste, tinned tomatoes and stock, stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Drain the beans and rinse with cold water.  Place into a bowl, roughly mash half of the beans and add to the soup.  Leaving the whole ones for a little later.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. After 30 minutes add in the chopped greens and leftover whole beans and stir.  Simmer for another 30 minutes.  Check to see if it needs a little more stock as the beans will absorb some of the liquid.

5.  After 30 minutes the soup should be perfect.  Serve with some crusty bread or even better toasted cheese sandwich fingers.