French Shallot, Toulouse Sausage and Borlotti Bean Soup

Serves 4-6

You'll need:

12 shallots, peeled and left whole
8 Toulouse sausages or spicy/Lincolnshire sausage
2 cloves of garlic, cut into slivers
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
150g shredded Savoy cabbage
1 tbsp chopped parsley
500 ml chicken stock
100ml red wine
Black pepper and sea salt
Bay leaf

Method:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based sauté pan or saucepan and add the shallots and sausages and sauté for 4-5 minutes, browning them all over.

2. Add the carrots and sauté for a further 3 minutes, not colouring them too much. Add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, beans, half the wine, stock, bay leaf, season well with sea salt and black pepper.

3. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 15 minutes on a low heat. If the soup becomes too thick, add a little more stock, then add the finely shredded cabbage, parsley and the rest of the red wine.

4. Mix well and cook for a further 5 minutes, until the cabbage is just cooked.

5. Slice the sausages into three, place in a bowl, and pour over all the bean soup.

6. Season to taste. Serve with crusty bread and chopped parsley.