BEAN SOUP WITH CABBAGE & RED CAPSICUM

 

Serves 6

 

Ingredients

• 250 g mixed dried beans (lentils & peas also), soaked in cold water for 12 hours
• 2 tablespoons evoo (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 large brown onion, chopped4 garlic cloves, peeled200 g finely diced prosciutto or ham
• 2 litres stock
• 410 g canned tomatoesPinch or two red chilli flakes
• Few grinds black pepper
• Good pinch dried oregano
• 1 large red capsicum, cored and cut into 1 cm strips
• ½ small white cabbage, cored and cut into 4 cm pieces
• 100 g finely grated parmesan
• *extra virgin oil flavoured with dried red chilli flakes

 

Method

Drain the beans. Put a large soup pot on to heat, add oil and onion and cook gently until the onion is translucent. Add the whole garlic cloves and stir for a couple of minutes. Add the prosciutto or ham, raise the heat and stir-fry for 4 – 5 minutes.

 

Add the drained beans, stock, tomatoes and seasonings. Bring slowly to the boil, adjust the heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Strain soup through a colander into a metal bowl. Pour the solids back into the soup pot and cover with a lid. Stand the pot with the liquid in a sink of cold water to cool rapidly. Once cool, put in the freezer for 1 ½ - 2 hours to solidify the fats.

 

Once the fats are solid, lift the fats off the soup carefully with a skimmer or strainer and discard them. Pour the soup back into the pot with the solids and put back on to heat. When boiling, add the capsicum and cabbage and simmer until tender and flavoursome.

 

Serve with thick slices of country bread and offer parmesan and or *pepperoncini oil at the table.

 

© Copyright Elise Pascoe 2008