Broccoli, cavolo nero and cannellini soup recipe
There is nothing quite like the homely comfort of a bowl of soup. This one is best enjoyed while you’re rlaxing at home, savouring each slurp.
When the cold weather has crept in, there is nothing quite like the homely comfort of a bowl of soup. Best enjoyed while you’re rugged up on the couch, hands wrapped tightly around the warm bowl, slowly savouring each slurp. Soup keeps the winter chills at bay.
On weekends, when you’ve got the time, slow-cooking a broth or soup can be just as nourishing as the soup itself. Weekdays are a different story; these are days when food needs to be on the table quickly. This is one of my favourite, midweek soups that I have on repeat throughout the winter months.
Some other delicious recipes you may love:
- Four fabulous pastas that will change your life
- Throw-together flatbread recipe
- Elizabeth Hewson’s effortless olive oil cake
There’s something virtuous about eating green food, and in the depths of winter, the bright green broccoli, cavolo nero and cannellini soup is guaranteed to lift the spirits. The whole broccoli gets used in this recipe. If your broccoli has a bit of a woody stalk, simply peel away its tough exterior. I always trim the end off too. The stalk does need a little extra cooking, so I throw it in for a couple of minutes before throwing in the florets. The cannellini beans make the soup creamy and give it a heartiness that all soups need at this time of year.
The thickness of soup is a personal preference. I like to keep this one reasonably thick to ensure it fills the belly, but if you like it a bit thinner, simply add a little more hot stock at blending time. Remember, it’s much easier to thin out a soup than thicken it. The added olive oil when you blend the soup is there to help make it extra luxurious. For reasons that are too scientific for me, adding lemon juice to greens will turn them brown – so only squeeze the lemon juice over your soup just before you serve it. The amount of juice is up to you, but I find a good squeeze over each bowl really lifts the flavour.
RECIPE: Broccoli, cavolo nero and cannellini soup
You want to make sure you give this soup a good blend, to ensure it is creamy and luscious. If you’re using a smaller head of broccoli, reduce the stock quantity so the soup isn’t too thin.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 garlic, finely chopped
- 1 red bird’s-eye chilli, deseeded
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1x 400ml can cannellini beans, drained
- 650ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 head of broccoli (about 350g), stems sliced, florets separate
- 1 bunch of cavolo nero, leaves stripped (roughly 150g of stripped leaves) or 300g baby spinach leaves
- Feta and dried chilli flakes, to serve
Method
- Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a deep-sided saucepan or pot with a lid. Add leek, garlic, chilli and salt, and cook for 5 minutes to soften but not colour. Throw in drained beans and toss around in the leek mix for a minute or so. Pour in stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, add the broccoli stems and cook for 2 minutes, followed by the top of the broccoli for a minute, followed by the cavolo nero leaves for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat.
- Transfer the soup into a blender or NutriBullet (it can be blended in the pot using a stick blender, although I find I never get the creamy consistency I want). Add one tablespoon of oil and blend until completely smooth and creamy. This might take a few blitzes. Depending on the size of your blender or NutriBullet, you may need to do this in two batches – then combine them back in a clean pot. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Serve steaming hot with feta crumbled on top, an extra lick of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon and dried chilli flakes if desired. Serves 2-3