Italian cabbage and bean soup is a wonderful filling family meal that is packed with wholesome budget-friendly ingredients. Dish up with hearty chunks of crusty bread for the best home-cooked meal.
large soup pot [stove-top Dutch oven or similar pot]
Ingredients
Saute veggies:
2tablespoonoilsuch as olive or rapeseed oil, or vegan butter/margarine or ½-¾ cup veggie stock
Soup:
1largeonionrough diced
6wholegarlic clovesdiced [minced]
1mediumleekthin sliced
2ribscelerydiced
1wholebell peppersmall-medium chunks
1mediumcourgette [zucchini]rough chopped into small-medium chunks
2mediumcarrotssmall-medium chunks
300gramspotatoessmall-medium chunks
400mililitrestomato passataor 1 ½-2 400g/14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1.5litresvegetable stockhot [use a few cups extra if a thinner soup is preferred]
1400 gram can borlotti beansdrained, [about 1 ½ cups cooked beans] or pinto beans, kidney beans, etc
1400 gram can cannellini beansdrained [about 1 ½ cups cooked beans] or butterbeans, haricot beans, etc
1sprigrosemaryor thyme, or 1-3 teaspoons of dried rosemary, thyme or mixed herbs
250gramskaleor any variety of cabbage, chopped and thick stalks removed
Add for last 5 minute of cooking:
140gramspeasfresh or frozen
2tablespoonred wine vinegaror balsamic vinegar
To serve, optional
6slicescrusty breadtorn into rough chunks
4tablespoonfresh chopped herbssuch as basil, parsley, dill, etc
Instructions
Heat the oil or ½ cup of veggie stock in the soup pan.
2 tablespoon oil
Add the onions, leeks, celery, and garlic. Over a medium heat saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
1 large onion, 1 medium leek, 2 ribs celery, 6 whole garlic cloves
Add the bell pepper, courgette, and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stir frequently.
1 whole bell pepper, 1 medium courgette [zucchini], 2 medium carrots
Tip in the potatoes and give it a good mix.
300 grams potatoes
Stir through the beans, tomato passata, and hot veggie stock.Add the rosemary or an alternative fresh herb or dried herbs.Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
Bring to the boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the veggies are soft.
Next mix through the kale or cabbage and cook for 4-10 minutes, depending on the size of kale or cabbage pieces and how soft you prefer your kale or cabbage.
250 grams kale
Add the peas and red wine vinegar. Cook for a few minutes longer.
140 grams peas, 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove the rosemary sprig.The soup will be nice and thick but if preferred thin it out with an extra cup or two of hot veggie stock.
Serve up
Optional: Place the torn up pieces of crusty bread into the bowls or serve the bread on the side for dunking into the soup.
6 slices crusty bread
Ladle the soup over the bread.
Garnish with fresh herbs. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast flakes is also tasty. A little drizzle of olive oil can be added if liked.
4 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Nutritional data does not include the optional bread accompaniment or the herb garnish.
Store leftover soup within the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Or freeze for 2-3 months.
Defrost completely before reheating on the stove-top or within a microwave.
Reheat until piping hot throughout.
For gluten-free Italian bean and cabbage soup choose a gluten-free veggie broth and ensure that the red wine vinegar is free from gluten [which it usually is].
Any variety of cabbage is fine for this recipe including Tuscan kale, red kale, Calvo Nero, white cabbage, green cabbage, Savoy cabbage, Spring greens [young or early cabbage], etc. Red cabbage can also be used and will create an interesting and tasty soup.