Directions

1. Preheat the grill to 200ºC/180ºC fan-forced.
2. Heat some oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. Add the bacon and fry off until it is slightly crispy at the edges. Then add the garlic, onion, celery, fennel and a pinch of chilli flakes. Place the lid slightly ajar on the pan and cook slowly on a low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cut the ciabatta in half and sprinkle with half of the parmesan. Put the halves on a lined baking tray and slide it under the grill for about 5 minutes - you want to make sure that the bread becomes crunchy. Keep an eye on your bread so that it does not burn! When it is ready, leave it to cool then slice into thick croutons.
4. Once the veggies have softened, add the diced tomatoes, water, sugar, and vegetable stock powder. Leave everything to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the cannellini beans and a bit more water if needed and simmer for another 10 minutes. Use a hand-held blender to pulse the soup just a couple of times to thicken it up. Alternatively, spoon a bit of soup out and blitz with a blender or even mash with a potato masher to get your desired consistency, then stir through remaining soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. When you are ready to serve the soup, stir through the spinach, it will wilt in moments so you won’t need to cook it. To serve, add the cheesy croutons and a good grating of the remaining parmesan.