Mixed cabbage minestra

The beauty of this type of soup is it’s easy to make and doesn’t really need a lot of attention. It’s simply a matter of gentle cooking and slowly layering flavours. You can substitute these ingredients with what you have; essentially you are creating a delicious hearty bowl filled with autumnal colours.

Credit: Sharyn Cairns

• makes

  2L

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  45 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 125 ml (½ cup) good olive oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 80 g cavolo nero leaves, without stalks, roughly torn
• 6 large green cabbage leaves, spines removed, sliced into 2 cm strips
• 200 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 1.75 litres vegetable or chicken stock
• 200 g cooked white beans
• 50 g dried spaghetti
• 200 g wombok (Chinese cabbage), chopped into 3 cm x 4 cm chunks
• robust extra-virgin oil, for drizzling
• 80 g finely grated parmesan
• river salt and black pepper, to season

Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Add the onion and season well. Cook gently, stirring for a few minutes, before adding the garlic and herbs. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until soft but not coloured.

Add the cavolo nero and cook for another good few minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the green cabbage, give it a stir and then add the tomato and stock. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat to a very gentle simmer. Add the white beans.

Let soup bubble away slowly for about 30 minutes, until all the ingredients mingle together. Stir and season as you go.

Roughly break spaghetti into uneven pieces, no longer than 4–5 cm, into the soup and stir. Cook for a further 7 minutes, until pasta is cooked. Stir in the wombok and remove the saucepan from the heat. The soup will look a little red and be slightly thick.

Ladle the soup into bowls, discarding the bay leaves if you happen to come across them. Finish each bowl with a generous drizzle of oil and a nice sprinkle of parmesan and extra black pepper.

Notes

• I always make more soup than I’ll need as it freezes so nicely and is always handy having around. I like to eat this particular one for breakfast with a poached egg.

• It will last a good week in the fridge and continue to thicken as time goes by. Simply dilute it a little with stock or water.

Photography by Sharyn Cairns. Styling by Lee Blaylock. Food preparation by Rachael Lane.

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This recipe is part of The Seasonal Cook: Cabbage column.

View previous The Seasonal Cook columns and recipes.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.