Tuscan Cabbage Soup

Despite its humble name, this tasty soup is very nutritious and a big crowd-pleaser. It’s a very versatile recipe – replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock (and leave out the ham hocks) and you have a vegetarian version. Don’t have any white cannelini beans on hand? Use red kidney beans or dice up a couple of potatoes and add to soup. If you have fresh tomatoes available, don’t hesitate to swap out the canned tomatoes.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1 1/2 lbs. green cabbage, chopped
6 cups chicken stock or broth
1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 smoked ham hock or ham bone
1 bunch fresh basil, chopped (or 1/2 cup prepared pesto)
2 cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, drained
Salt and pepper
Parmesan croutons (recipe below)
Grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

Melt butter and olive oil in large stock pan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and celery. Sauté for five minutes, stirring frequently.

Add cabbage and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently.

Add stock, tomatoes, ham hock, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer about one hour, stirring occasionally.

Discard ham hock bones, reserving meat. Chop meat and add beans and meat to soup.Watch Full Movie Streaming Online and Download

When ready to serve, top each serving with crouton. Garnish with dusting of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

YIELD: Makes 8 servings.

Parmesan Croutons
Slice sweet or sourdough bread loaf into 1 inch thick slices. Brush generously with melted butter, sprinkle with garlic powder or salt and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Bake in 350°F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until croutons are crisp and golden.