• Creamy celery soup with white beans and pancetta

    Serves: 6
    Cooking Time: 30 mins

    Ingredients

    • 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
    • 50g butter
    • 1 large bulb of celery, approx 8 stalks, washed and finely sliced
    • 1 small onion, chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 200g block pancetta, cubed
    • 1 x 410g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
    • 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, plus extra to serve
    • 1L (4 cups) good quality chicken stock
    • 500ml (2 cups) fresh cream
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

    Instructions

    1

    Heat the oil and butter in a large stock pot over medium heat and sauté the celery and onion, about 5 – 8 minutes.

    2

    Add the garlic and pancetta and fry for a further minute.

    3

    Add the beans, thyme and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 20 minutes.

    4

    Add the cream, season and heat through.

    5

    Serve in warm bowls with plenty of crusty bread and garnish with fresh thyme.