Boston bean soup

serves 4
ingredients
850g/13⁄4lb canned cooked pinto
beans, drained
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 celery stick, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
450ml/3⁄4pt beef stock
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
• Put the beans, tomatoes, celery,
onion, bay leaf and stock in a
medium saucepan. Cover the pan,
and bring the mixture to the boil
over a medium-high heat.
• Reduce the heat and simmer for
about 20 minutes until the
vegetables are quite soft. Leave the
soup to sit, uncovered, for a further
20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf.
• Pureé half the soup in a blender
or food processor. Mix into the
remaining soup. Season to taste
with salt and pepper, and serve.