Rustic White Bean & Butternut Squash Soup

Peel and dice the butternut squash into 2 cm (0.8 inch) cubes.

Chop the onion finely.

Mince the garlic.

Rinse and drain the cannellini beans.

Wash and roughly chop the kale.

Cut a lid off the top of the sourdough bread round.

Hollow out the inside of the bread, leaving a 1-2 cm (0.4-0.8 inch) thick shell.

Reserve the removed bread for dipping.

Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.

Stir in the diced butternut squash and sauté for about 5-7 minutes.

Pour in the vegetable broth and add the rosemary sprigs.

Bring the soup to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook until the squash is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Remove the rosemary sprigs.

Add the rinsed cannellini beans and chopped kale to the pot.

Cook for another 3-5 minutes until the kale has wilted.

Season the soup with salt and black pepper to taste.

Ladle the hot soup into the hollowed-out sourdough bread bowls.

Drizzle with a little extra olive oil.

Garnish with fresh thyme sprigs and a grind of black pepper.

You can serve the soup with the reserved bread pieces for dipping, or with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.