Ingredients

• 75ml olive oil
• 3 medium onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 21/2 tsp caraway seeds
• 700g Swiss chard leaves, stalks removed and cut into 1cm pieces, leaves cut into thirds
• Shaved skin of 1 unwaxed lemon
• 2 tbsp picked thyme leaves
• 1.3 litres vegetable (or chicken) stock
• Salt and black pepper
• 240g cooked haricot beans (tinned are fine; just drain and rinse them)
• 200g soured cream (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and caraway seeds, lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are soft but have not taken on any colour.

2. Add the chard stalks and leaves, the lemon skin, thyme, stock, half a teaspoon of salt and some black pepper. Bring up to a boil, then simmer for eight minutes, until the chard is completely soft.

3. Remove and discard the lemon skin, then coarsely blitz the soup with a hand-held blender. Make sure there are some nice big pieces of chard still left in it – you want it to have plenty of texture. Add the beans to the pot, warm them through gently and serve with a dollop of soured cream, if using.

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