• ¼ lb. haricot beans
• 3 pt. water
• 2 onions
• 1–2 cloves of garlic
• 1 oz. lean bacon scraps
• 2 tablesp. olive oil
• a bunch of herbs
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 glass red wine
• 2 carrots
• 1 small turnip
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 small potatoes
• ½ small cabbage
• 2 oz. macaroni or fancy shapes of Italian paste
• salt and pepper
• grated cheese

Soak the beans overnight in ½ pt. of the water. Slice the onions, crush the garlic, chop the bacon. Heat the oil in a deep pan and fry the onions very gently for 10 min. Add the garlic, bacon, herbs, cutup tomatoes and the wine. Reduce this mixture by rapid boiling for 5 min. Add the haricot beans and all the water and simmer for 2 hr. Dice the carrots, turnip and celery and add them to the soup; simmer for a further ½ hr. Add the potatoes, diced, and simmer for another ½ hr. Add the shredded cabbage and the macaroni and simmer for a final 10–15 min. Season the soup, stir into it a little grated cheese and serve the rest separately.