Rustic Italian Soup With Bacon & Ciabatta

• 3 1/2 ounces bacon diced
• 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
• 1 red onion diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1 bun ciabatta
• 1/2 cup Parmesan grated
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 7/8 cup water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vegetable stock powder
• 1 can cannellini beans drained
• 2 1/3 cups baby spinach washed

1. Preheat the grill to 200u0b0C/180u0b0C 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!nhen 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-heldnlender to pulse the soup just a couple of times to thicken it up.nlternatively, spoon a bit of soup out and blitz with a blender or evennash with a potato masher to get your desired consistency, then stirnhrough 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.

bacon, garlic, red onion, stalks celery, fennel seeds crushed, chilli flakes, ciabatta, parmesan grated, tomatoes, water, sugar, vegetable stock powder, beans, baby spinach washed

Taken from www.yummly.com/recipe/Rustic-Italian-Soup-with-Bacon-_-Ciabatta-1576185 (may not work)