This is one of those thick, meal-in-a-bowl-type soups that winter is made for. You could use curly kale or cavolo nero instead - leaves only. Reckon on about 250g kale to give you 150g leaves.
Serves 2-3
2 tbsp olive oil
A decent handful of unsmoked streaky bacon
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 sticks of celery, finely chopped
3 plump cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 small sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
400g tin of cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 litre chicken stock
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
150g savoy cabbage leaves, roughly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for sprinkling
Parmesan cheese or grana padano
Heat the oil and fry the bacon until just golden. Then add the onion, celery and garlic and sweat until soft. Add one sprig of rosemary and the bay leaf, then the drained beans and chicken stock. Stir well, then bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.
Hoick out the bay leaf, season the soup and lightly mash with a potato masher or fork, so that about half the beans are reduced to mush and half remain whole.
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Add the cabbage, stir well, then return to the boil and cook for a further 6-7 minutes until the leaves are soft. Strip the leaves from the remaining sprig of rosemary. Chop as finely as you can and stir into the soup.
Check the seasoning, then ladle into bowls, adding a splash of olive oil and a generous grating of cheese before serving.