This robust Italian soup of cannellini beans and pasta shapes is warming and reviving on cold winter's day.

  • Soak the cannellini beans in cold water overnight. Drain and then rinse the beans under running cold water. 
  • Put the beans with the onion, leek, carrots, celery, fennel, tomatoes, garlic and vegetable stock into large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the hear to a simmer and cook gently for 1 hour. 
  • Stir in the pasta and the greens or cabbage, and cook for 15-30 minutes, until the beans, pasta and vegetables are cooked and tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley. 
  • Just before serving, rub the slices of French bread on both sides with garlic cloves and toast them under a hot grill until golden brown. Ladle the soup into serving bowls and top each one with a slice of garlic toast sprinkled with chives.