Two takes on cabbage soup, from Italy and Scandinavia.
Ribollita
Recipe from “Plenty,” by Diana Henry (Mitchell Beazley). Serves 4.
Ingredients
8 ounces Savoy cabbage or kale
2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, trimmed and chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
4 ounces ( 1/3 pound) waxy potatoes, diced
4 cups chicken or beef stock
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
2 rosemary sprigs
3 garlic cloves
6 slices coarse white country bread
¾ cup cooked cannellini beans
2 large plum tomatoes
Directions
Cut the coarse central core from the cabbage, and slice the leaves. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan and sauté the leeks and celery until pale gold, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, cabbage or kale, and potatoes and cook for another 12 minutes, turning the vegetables over in the butter every so often. Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan with the rosemary and 2 of the garlic cloves (leave them whole and unpeeled). When the oil starts to shimmer and the ingredients turn light brown, remove from the heat and leave to infuse.
Toast the bread and rub each piece with the remaining garlic clove (peeled, this time). Add the beans to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes.
Drop the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water and leave for 10 seconds. Lift them out and rinse in cold water, then slip off the skins. Halve the tomatoes, scoop out the seeds (discard them), and cube the flesh. Add the tomatoes and flavored oil to the soup and taste for seasoning.
In another large saucepan, layer the soup with the bread (break it up to help spread it out) and leave to cool. Put the soup in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, bring it to room temperature, then bring to a boil again. Serve, drizzled with more extra-virgin olive oil.
Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon and Thyme
Recipe adapted from “The Scandinavian Kitchen,” by Camilla Plum (Kyle Books). Serves 6.
Ingredients
1 small white cabbage
1 pound potatoes (try russets)
2 large leeks
½ stick butter
1 large carrot, diced
Scant ¼ cup cider vinegar
4 cups stock (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1 sprig fresh thyme, plus extra leaves to garnish
3 walnut-sized pieces of fresh ginger, chopped
7 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces
¾ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Sugar, to taste
Directions
Cut the cabbage, potatoes and leeks into relatively large pieces. Melt generous ¼ stick of butter in a saucepan which can hold everything and sweat the vegetables for 15 minutes without browning them. Add the vinegar and let it reduce to nothing. Add the thyme sprig, stock and ginger and let simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.
Fry the bacon until golden and crispy in the remaining butter.
Remove and discard the thyme sprig and then blend the soup, with the cream, in a food processor or blender until smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste, adding a little more vinegar if you wish. Serve the soup very hot, topped with the bacon and thyme leaves.
