Heat oil in a pot, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic and fry until golden brown. (roughly 8-10 minutes on medium heat; stirring constantly) Add thyme, bay leaves, black peppercorns, sweet potato, savoy cabbage, tomato paste and mix well.
Add stock into the mixture. Drain the beans, mash half and add all into the pot. Add 1 litre of water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Add kale and spinach and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add salt as required. Add sour dough bread, check seasoning and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
To serve, put in individual pasta plates, drizzle extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle crushed peppercorns and grated parmesan (if preferred)).
Tip: This is a great dish to use up leftover vegetables. Tastes even better a day later. For a vegan version,simply omit the parmesan