Italian Cabbage and Bean Soup

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1

Servings:

Calories: 332kcal

Author: Jacq

Italian Cabbage and Bean Soup is a homely, delicious and budget-friendly soup that’s stood the test of time. This is one of those comforting soups where you can just throw all the ingredients together into the soup pot such as whatever vegetables, beans, or greens you’ve got in the kitchen, and let it cook. It's simple, filling, and packed with flavour, and best of all, budget-friendly.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

large soup pot [stove-top Dutch oven or similar pot]

Ingredients

Saute veggies:

2 tablespoons oil (such as olive or rapeseed oil or ½-¾ cup vegetable stock if preparing an oil-free soup)

Soup:

1 large onion (chopped)
6 garlic cloves (fine diced or minced)
1 medium leek (thin sliced)
2 sticks celery (diced)
1 bell pepper (sliced into small-medium chunks)
1 medium courgette [zucchini] (chopped into small-medium chunks)
2 medium carrots (sliced into small-medium chunks)
300 grams potatoes (chopped into small-medium chunks)
400 mililitres tomato passata (or 1 ½-2 x 400g (14 oz) cans of diced tomatoes)
1.5 litres vegetable stock, hot
1 can borlotti beans (400g (14oz) can drained, about 1 ½ cups cooked beans, can also use pinto beans, kidney beans, etc)
1 can cannellini beans (400g (14oz) can drained, about 1 ½ cups cooked beans, or replace with butterbeans, haricot beans, etc)
1 sprig rosemary (or thyme, or 1-3 teaspoons of dried rosemary or thyme or dried mixed herbs)
250 grams kale or cabbage (chopped ,and thick stalks removed)

Add for last 5 minute of cooking:

140 grams peas (fresh or frozen)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

To serve, optional:

6 slices crusty bread (torn into rough chunks)
4 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs (such as basil, parsley, dill, etc)

Instructions

Heat the oil or ½ cup of vegetable stock in the soup pot.
2 tablespoons 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 sticks celery, 6 garlic cloves
Add the bell pepper, courgette, and carrot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stir frequently.
1 bell pepper, 1 medium courgette [zucchini], 2 medium carrots
Add in the potatoes and give it a good mix.
300 grams potatoes
Stir through the beans, tomato passata, and vegetable stock. Add the rosemary and season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
400 mililitres tomato passata, 1 can borlotti beans, 1 can cannellini beans, 1.5 litres vegetable stock, hot, 1 sprig rosemary
Bring to the boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables 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 or cabbage
Add the peas and red wine vinegar and cook for a few minutes longer.
140 grams peas, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and 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 vegetable stock.

Optional serving suggestion:

Place pieces of crusty bread into the bowls and ladle the soup over the bread. Or serve the bread on the side for dunking into the soup.
6 slices crusty bread
Garnish with fresh herbs. A sprinkle of nutritional yeast flakes is also tasty and a little drizzle of olive oil can be added if liked.
4 tablespoons 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.
Thaw 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 vegetable stock and ensure that the red wine vinegar is free from gluten.
Any variety of cabbage or kale 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.

Nutrition