Runner bean and garden mint soup

Too many runner beans? Then this tasty soup (which also uses fresh garden mint, plentiful in late summer when runner beans are abundant) will soon take care of them. The quantities are easily increased so you can make now and pack into containers to freeze for later.

Ingredients

• 500 g runner beans, destringed and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 small carrot, scrubbed and chopped
• 1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 25 g butter
• 4 leafy sprigs of mint (leaves only – retain a few for serving)
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano (dried is fine – if fresh use a little more)
• 700 ml good quality chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian option)
• Seasoning

Preparation

1. Melt the butter in a deep pan and gently “sweat” the vegetables and garlic (with lid on) over a lowish heat for 10 minutes
2. Add the stock and herbs
3. Simmer with a lid on the pan for about 30 minutes
4. Purée until smooth and then push through a sieve to remove the fibres.
5. Check the seasoning and add freshly ground salt and black pepper to taste
6. Reheat and serve with sprigs of mint and, if desired, crispy bacon or pancetta and some fresh, crusty bread