Winter Minestrone
Are you: cold? In need of some vegetables? Got some thyme on your hands? Sounds like a winter minestrone is in order. The perfect throw everything good and seasonal into a pot with stock and let time make it delicious.
Here’s a recipe from the the River Cafe, follow it loosely, make loads as it tastes even better the next day. Eat with nice bread, lightly toasted with butter dripping through the holes...
-2 tbsp cooking evoo
Here’s a recipe from the the River Cafe, follow it loosely, make loads as it tastes even better the next day. Eat with nice bread, lightly toasted with butter dripping through the holes...
-2 tbsp cooking evoo
-2 medium carrots , roughly chopped
-1 large red onion , coarsely chopped
-1 head of celery (that’s the whole thing), coarsely chopped, keeping the leaves
-1 head of garlic (that’s the whole thing), cloves peeled
-Big bunch Swiss chard , leaves shredded and stalks roughly chopped
-a good handful of parsley , finely chopped
-400g can peeled plum tomatoes
-150g cavolo nero , stalks removed, leaves shredded (or savoy cabbage)
-400g can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
-about 700ml boiling chicken or vegetable stock
-a few sprigs of winter herbs such as thyme or sage, chopped
-freshly grated parmesan
-good extra-virgin olive oil (hint hint), for drizzling
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and slowly fry the carrots, onion and celery until soft and dark, to make soffritto. This will take about 20-30 minutes but it’s worth it – the slow cooking gives a lovely taste.
Add the garlic, chard stalks and half the parsley, and stir to prevent sticking. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced.
Add half the Swiss chard leaves, half the cavolo nero, three-quarters of the beans, and the boiling stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour in more stock if needed – don’t add too much – it should be thick.
Add the remaining Swiss chard and cavolo nero and blanch briefly so they remain green and crisp. Season when slightly cooled.
Purée or mash in pestle&mortar the remaining cannellini beans coarsely in a blender with some of the cooking liquid. Add to the soup. Stir in the herbs and serve hot with Parmesan and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and slowly fry the carrots, onion and celery until soft and dark, to make soffritto. This will take about 20-30 minutes but it’s worth it – the slow cooking gives a lovely taste.
Add the garlic, chard stalks and half the parsley, and stir to prevent sticking. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until reduced.
Add half the Swiss chard leaves, half the cavolo nero, three-quarters of the beans, and the boiling stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Simmer for 30 minutes. Pour in more stock if needed – don’t add too much – it should be thick.
Add the remaining Swiss chard and cavolo nero and blanch briefly so they remain green and crisp. Season when slightly cooled.
Purée or mash in pestle&mortar the remaining cannellini beans coarsely in a blender with some of the cooking liquid. Add to the soup. Stir in the herbs and serve hot with Parmesan and a drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil.