Rustic Italian Soup

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large saucepan over a low heat. Add the bacon and cook for 5 minutes, or until golden. Add the garlic, red onion, celery and birdseye chilli (if using) and place the lid slightly ajar on top of the pan. TIP: Add your birdseye chilli slowly and taste as you go. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes, or until the celery is softened.

While the bacon and veggies are cooking, slice the bake-at-home roll in half and sprinkle with ½ of the Cheddar cheese. Place the bread halves on the oven tray lined with baking paper and place under the grill for 5 minutes, or until the bread is crunchy and the cheese is golden and melted. TIP: Keep an eye on your bread to watch it doesn’t burn! Remove the bread from under the grill, set aside to cool and slice into croutons.

Add the diced tomatoes and the water (check ingredients list for the amount) to the saucepan with the vegetables. Crumble in the chicken stock cube and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse the borlotti beans and add to the saucepan. TIP: Add an extra dash of water to your soup if you prefer a thinner consistency. Simmer for a further 5 minutes until slightly reduced.

Using a stick blender, pulse the soup mixture a couple of times until it thickens. TIP: If you don’t have a stick blender, spoon some soup out of the saucepan, blitz with a blender or mash with a potato masher, then return to the saucepan and stir through. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and pepper. When the soup is ready to serve, stir through the parsley.