Italian bean soup

Westland tomato soup

• 300 GRAM DRIED BEANS, soaked 24 hour
• 2 CLOVES GARLIC, chopped
• 200 GRAM SMALL SAUSAGES
• 1 GREEN BELL PEPPER, cut
• 2 TOMATOES, cubed
• 100 GRAM MACARONI
• BUNCH OF RUCOLA
• 50 GRAM MOZZARELLA, GRATED

• 1.5 KG TOMATOES, in quarters
• 1 LEEK, sliced
• 2 CUPS STOCK
• 1 CUP MILK
• 1 TBSP SUGAR
• 6 TBSP CREAM
• 200 GRAM MINCED BEEF

Add 4 cups of water to the beans and pepper and salt to taste and bring to the boil. Simmer for half an hour. In the mean time, stir fry the pepper and garlic 3 minutes. Add the sausages and fry 5 minutes more. After half an hour, add this to the bean soup. Simmer 15 minutes more, add the pasta; simmer 10 minutes, add the tomatoes and let the soup boil very softly for 5 minutes more. Stir in the rucola, put the soup on plates and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Serve with ciabatta, a green salad, a nice Italian red wine and pear semifreddo for dessert. Good in cold and hot weather!

For more ideas on bean soup, see also white bean soup, American bean soup and Egyptian bean soup.

Fry the tomatoes ten minutes and puree them in a puree sieve. Make 20 small balls out of the beef, stir fry them together with the leeks for 5 minutes. Cook the pureed tomatoes 5 minutes on high heat (stir well). Add the stock, sugar, milk and cream to the soup, taste and add pepper and salt to taste. Add the leeks and meat balls. Simmer for 10 minutes more.