Simple Tomato & Butter Bean Soup

This is a store-cupboard soup. Tinned tomatoes, tinned butter beans, garlic, and rosemary. It takes about fifteen minutes and tastes like something that's been simmering all afternoon. The butter beans make it creamy without any cream.

Ingredients (Serves 2–3):

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 sprig of rosemary, leaves finely chopped
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin of butter beans, rinsed and drained
• 300ml vegetable stock
• Salt and pepper
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to serve

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and rosemary. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Add the tomatoes, butter beans, and stock. Bring to a simmer.
3. Cook for 10–12 minutes until slightly thickened.
4. Blend with a stick blender until smooth (or leave chunky if you prefer). Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil.

Why it's gut-friendly: Butter beans are packed with soluble fibre. Tomatoes are rich in lycopene. Rosemary is anti-inflammatory. A simple, comforting soup.