Rustic borlotti bean and vegetable soup

Borlotti beans are the ones with the pink and cream speckled pods, and they look a lot like cranberry beans until they are cooked. Once they hit the pot they turn a plain, soft brown, which is a little disappointing if you were hoping for the marbling. The flavour is what matters, though. They have a soft, nutty, almost chestnut-like taste and a creamy middle that holds its shape better than many white beans. That is why they suit a chunky soup like this one, where you want some bite left in everything.

This is the kind of soup that grew out of cupboard cooking in Italy: whatever vegetables were going soft, a tin of tomatoes, a handful of beans and whatever herbs were drying on the windowsill. Oregano and thyme do most of the work here. Use the oregano generously, since its warm, slightly bitter edge is what makes a simple tomato broth taste like it has been on the stove all afternoon.

A tip from home cooking: the soup is better the day after you make it. The beans soak up the broth and the tomatoes mellow, so the flavour rounds out. Cool it quickly, keep it in a covered container in the fridge, and reheat it gently on the hob with a splash of water if it has thickened. If you have a little left over, blend half of it and stir it back in for a thicker base, which is a nice way to use it up without wasting anything. It also freezes well in portions, though the cabbage will soften further, so it is better to freeze it before the pesto goes in.

Serve it with a thick slice of crusty bread, rubbed with garlic and drizzled with oil, for dunking. If you want something more filling for a cold evening, a bowl of Hearty Turkey and Kale Soup makes a sturdy partner on the table, though you may want to pick just one of the two soups for the main course. A crisp green salad with a sharp dressing cuts through the richness nicely. For a lighter lunch, try a bowl of Lemony lentil salad with fresh herbs alongside, with its bright vinaigrette picking up the basil and pesto.

Do not skip the final blob of pesto and the black pepper. They go in at the end so their flavour stays bright, and they make the whole pot taste finished.