Broad Bean Pod & Gluten Free Bread Soup

Dairy, Vegetarian
Serves 8

Broad Beans are very popular in Sephardic cooking and this is a case of waste not want not. The bean pods when young are full of taste and not coarse. This was a good way of using them and other bits up. You could use Broad Beans but why not use as Broad Bean and Chard Salad

450g (1lb) of the pods from broad beans or peas
225g (8oz) onion
3 sticks (ribs) of celery
225g (8oz) chard stalks **- you could use the ribs of cauliflower leaves too
225g (8oz) potato
225g (8oz) gluten free bread crumbs
50g (2oz) of fresh parsley
6 cloves of garlic
30g (1oz) of fresh mint
3tbsp olive oil
1.2 litre (40fl oz)of boiling water

Make several piles of vegetables on your chopping board by dicing the onion and the potato, thinly slice the celery, broad bean pods and chard stalks and chop the herbs and the garlic - heat the oil gently in a large pan stir the onion in with some salt and gently fry for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the celery and the chard stems and potato cook for a few more minutes.

The pods now go in with the garlic, seasoning and water. Cook together for about 30 minutes until the vegetables are very soft. Add the fresh herbs and the bread crumbs - this will thicken the soup. Adjust the seasoning and serve.

If you prefer you could liquidise the soup after adding the herbs but before you add the crumbs and serve.