Nigel Slater's recipe for summer bean and tomato soup with gochujang

Peel and coarsely chop 1 medium-sized onion. Peel and finely chop 1 large garlic clove or 2 smaller ones. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stir in the chopped onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until golden and tender. You can expect this to take a good 15 minutes. Stir regularly so the onion and garlic don't burn.

Roughly chop 450g tomatoes (you can use tinned tomatoes if you prefer, but the flavor will be less intense) and stir in the onion and garlic. Let them soften over moderate heat for about 10 minutes, crushing them a little with a wooden spoon to release their juices. Stir in ½ to 1 tbsp gochujang.

Add 500g judion or butter beans and their bottling or canning liquor and 200ml beef stock vegetables. Bring to a boil. Season with salt and black pepper and 3 or 4 sprigs of leafy thyme. Coarsely chop 30g mixed herbs - I like to use parsley, coriander and mint, but you can use dill, basil or fennel leaves with the parsley if you prefer. Stir in all the herbs except 2 tbsp.

Prepare the sour cream: put 200ml sour cream in a bowl. Stir in reserved chopped herbs. Grate some orange zest – great with tomatoes. Pour the soup into deep bowls and pour sour cream. Serves 4

This is a great way to use up any herbs you might have, assorted and mixed accordingly what you have around. Any herbs flavored with anise - tarragon, fennel and basil - would be good, but the soup is better if you also add a little mint.

The zest of grated orange is a fragrant addition to this soup (I often put a strip of zest in a pot of beans and tomatoes), but don't think it's essential if you don't have fruit on hand. It's especially good if you add a sprig or two of rosemary instead of thyme.

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