Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion
• peeled
• sliced
• 150g/5½oz streaky bacon
• diced
• 4 celery stalks
• chopped
• 2 garlic cloves
• peeled
• finely chopped.
• 2 carrots
• peeled
• diced
• 2 potatoes
• peeled
• diced
• 1 litre/1 pint 15¼fl oz beef stock
• 30g/1oz tomato purée
• 400g/14 oz canned haricot beans
• drained
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• handful chopped fresh parsley
• 400g/14 oz tomatoes
• chopped
• 100g/3½ oz spaghetti
• broken into 2cm/1in pieces
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 crusty white bread loaf
• cut into thick slices
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 200g/7oz mozzarella
• torn

Directions

• Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion
• bacon
• celery
• garlic and carrots for 2-3 minutes
• or until softened.
• Stir in the potatoes and fry for a further 2-3 minutes. Pour in the stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Stir in the tomato purée and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add the haricot beans
• herbs
• chopped tomatoes and spaghetti and continue to cook until the pasta is tender. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• For the croûtons
• drizzle the bread with the olive oil.
• Heat a griddle pan until hot and fry the bread on one side for 2-3 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Meanwhile
• preheat the grill to high.
• Remove the bread from the pan and top the uncooked side with the mozzarella. Place under the grill for 2-3 minutes
• or until the cheese is bubbling and golden-brown.
• To serve
• ladle the soup into 4 soup bowls and top with a croûton.