If you are starting with some ham stock and the ends of a joint, strip the bone and place it in the stock and boil for about 45 minutes. Remove the bone from the stock and strip off any leftover pieces of meat, set these aside and discard the bone.

Prepare the vegetables, peel and chop them into neat pieces, around the same size, the same way as you would for a minestrone.

Add the vegetables to the stock together with the bayleaf and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 12 minutes, then add the drained, rinsed beans and plenty of black pepper. You might not want to use all the beans, I used just over a half.

When all the vegetables are soft - check each type - add the pieces of ham, taste for seasoning and add black pepper if needed. You won't need any salt.

Transfer 3 or 4 ladles of soup into a jug or bowl and process with a stick blender until completely smooth, then pour back into the soup, this gives the soup a creaminess, you could leave it as more of a minestrone clear broth, or process all of it, depending on how you like your soup. Serve hot in warmed bowls.