Dinner With Meg

Perfect for: using leftover veg, getting a dose of gut goodness, speedy batch-cooking for lunches

Everyone needs at least a soup base in their rotation that’s versatile, so you can mix and match it every time with ingredients you’ve got to use up.

This butterbean and vegetable soup hits that brief. This one packs goodness for your gut, but it’s extremely versatile so you can use whatever veg you’ve got lying around.

The harissa and the miso really are the secret ingredients here, with added chilli for an undertone that really does warm you inside.

Ingredients

Serves 2

400g butterbeans (with half the juice from the jar)
1 tsp miso
1 tsp harissa paste
3 gloves garlic
2 sprigs thyme
1 lemon juice
Chicken stock cube and white wine stock cube in 500ml water
1 carrot, diced
1 onion, finely diced
2 sticks celery, finely diced
Glug olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes

Method

1. Heat a glug of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery.

2. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden.

3. Stir in the garlic, chilli flakes, harissa paste.

4. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.

5. Add the butterbeans along with half their jar liquid. Pour in the hot stock. Add the thyme sprigs and bring to a gentle simmer.

6. Simmer for at least 15–20 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld and the veg to become very tender.

7. Remove the thyme sprigs, add the lemon juice, gently warm through.

8. Adjust seasoning if needed, and serve in your favourite soup bowl for a soul-warming lunch.