This is a really yummy, chunky, warming hug of a soup. It’s good and hearty too so will fill you up and keep all the family happy. I keep it vegetarian but if you prefer, you can use a good chicken or ham stock instead of veggie stock. And if you have a rind of Parmesan (or vegetarian equivalent) lurking in the fridge, chuck it into the soup with the cabbage and it will add lots of flavour.
Ingredients
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- 3 celery sticks, thickly sliced on the diagonal
- 2 large carrots, thickly sliced on the diagonal
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried mixed herbs
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 400 g can of borlotti or cannellini beans, drained
- 300 g cavolo nero or savoy cabbage, shredded
- 2 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped
- 50 g cooked wholemeal pasta (optional)
How to Make It
- Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, celery and carrots and cook them over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until they have started to soften and caramelise around the edges. This can take a while – about 15 minutes.
- Add the garlic, herbs, stock, beans and cabbage and season well with salt and pepper. If you do have a cheese rind, add this too. Bring the soup to the boil, then turn down the heat, cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes until all the vegetables are tender.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes, then add the pasta, if using, and let it heat through.