French Bean Soup Recipe

INGREDIENTS

350g / 12½oz French Beans (also called fine or filet beans)

1 medium (approx. 250g / 9oz) potato

1 medium onion

4 medium ripe tomatoes

3 garlic cloves

1 litre / 1.75 pints vegetable stock - fresh or water and two stock cubes

2 tablespoons tomato puree concentrate

5 tablespoons white wine (optional, can use water instead)

1 level teaspoon dried / 2 teaspoons fresh basil

1 level teaspoon dried / 2 teaspoons fresh oregano

3 tablespoons olive oil

To taste salt and pepper

 
PREPARATION TIME: 15 minutes
 
COOKING TIME: 1 hour 25 minutes
 
DIFFICULTY: Easy
 
FREEZE: Yes
 
SERVINGS: 4 servings
 
EQUIPMENT: 1 large pan, food processor or hand held blender

PREPARATION

Peel the potato and cut into cubes.

Top and tail the onion and then peel it and roughly chop.

ADVICE FOR FRENCH BEAN SOUP

There are three ways to get hold of French Beans and the first is to buy them. As an aside we bought ours from the Co-op, some ready trimmed and some whole. The weight on the packet of trimmed beans was 170g but in fact they weighed over 200g! The weight of the untrimmed beans was stated as 200g but they in fact weighed 175g. The lesson is, always weigh your ingredients whatever the pack has on it.

The two remaining methods of acquiring French Beans are to grow them yourself or be given some grown by a friend. In season, many vegetable gardeners produce a massive glut of French Beans. The problem is what to do with such a huge amount of beans?

Some claim that par-boiling and then freezing them results in frozen French Beans which taste delicious when cooked at a later date. It's just not true, the flavour and texture of French beans is impaired by freezing, home freezing especially. Try a blind tasting of frozen and fresh French beans side by side and the difference is immediately apparent.

Leaving the beans unpicked is no solution either, they just grow larger and the result is an even weightier crop. And large French beans are not as tender as young small ones. The solution? Make this French bean soup and freeze it - this soup really does freeze well. And it matters not one jot how large or small the beans are.

RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1

Add the chopped onions to the large pan with the olive oil on a lowish heat.

Let the onions fry gently for 12 minutes turning every few minutes to ensure they are evenly cooked. You want the onions to be softened during this cooking time but don't let them turn brown.

Frying onions for French Bean Soup

STEP 2

Add the potato, French beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, stock, and white wine to the onions and bring them to a boil.

Now turn down the heat to low and cook the soup on a low heat (just simmering) for 45 minutes stirring a couple of times.

Cooking French Bean Soup

STEP 3

Add the garlic, basil and oregano to the soup and then pour it into a food liquidiser - you will probably need to do this in two separate lots. Liquidise for a minute or so.

Pour back into the pan and reheat for a minute or so. Garnish with herbs (parsley is good) if you have any.

French Bean Soup