The River Cafe's Winter Minestrone
This hearty and flavorful soup is a celebration of vibrant green vegetables. Slowly cooked until tender and packed with nourishing ingredients like Swiss chard, cannellini beans, and winter herbs, this comforting dish is perfect for a cozy evening meal. Finish it off with a sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for a satisfying and delicious meal.
— Constant Cookbook
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 medium carrots , roughly chopped
- 1 large red onion , coarsely chopped
- 1 head of celery , coarsely chopped, keeping the leaves
- 1 head of garlic , cloves peeled
- 1kg Swiss chard , leaves shredded and stalks roughly chopped
- a good handful of parsley , finely chopped
- 400g can peeled plum tomatoes , drained of most of their juices, roughly chopped
- 1kg cavolo nero , stalks removed, leaves shredded (or savoy cabbage)
- 410g 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
- extra-virgin olive oil , for drizzling
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and slowly fry the carrots, onion and celery until soft and dark. This will take about 20 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 the remaining cannellini beans coarsely in a blender with some of the cooking liquid. Add to the soup – it should be very green. Stir in the herbs and serve hot with Parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Yield
Serves 5
Nutrition
- Calories: 263 calories
- Fat Content: 10 grams fat
- Saturated Fat Content: 2 grams saturated fat
- Carbohydrate Content: 27 grams carbohydrates
- Fiber Content: 9 grams fiber
- Protein Content: 17 grams protein
- Sodium Content: 2.64 milligram of sodium
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