Step 1

Heat the oil in a very large pan that has a close fitting lid. Then add the celery, bacon, onion, carrot and garlic. Fry this off for about 5 to 7 minutes until it has softened a little. No colour is needed on the vegetables, so make sure the heat isn’t too high that they become brown, but high enough the vegetables sweat and soften.

Step 2

Add the tomato purée and the thyme leaves, stir through and cook for about 30 seconds.

Step 3

3. Add the stock, the tin of tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and a little salt and pepper. Stir everything through, set the heat so that your soup is on a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 25 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked al dente.

Step 4

Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is ready. Follow the timing instructions on the packet, but this is normally about 7 minutes.

Step 5

Add the cabbage and the beans and cook until the cabbage has wilted. This will take about 5 minutes.

Step 6

Check for seasoning and add some salt and pepper if needed before serving.

Step 7

Sprinkle a little parmesan over each bowl of soup.