Recipe: Cabbage, Pork and Rosemary Soup

Cabbage, Pork and Rosemary Soup

1 cup dried cannellini beans or 4 cans cooked
1 inch piece kombu, wiped with a clean, moist cloth
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces pork, sliced into julienne strips
1 medium leek, white only, sliced (about 1 cup)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 turnip in 1/4 inch dice
1 (14 oz.) can plum tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 sprigs fresh
2 teaspoons salt
Freshly milled black pepper.
8 cups water or vegetable broth
1/4 cup quinoa
1 small Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
1/2 cup minced parsley
1 cup grated parmigiano/romano cheese

METHOD:
Soak beans overnight. Cook with kombu in water to cover by three inches for about 1 1/2 hours.

In a large soup pot heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high heat. When hot, sear the meat on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon. Set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in remaining tablespoon butter with leek, garlic and onion. Cook until leek and onion softens, about 10 minutes. Stir in carrot, celery and turnip. Cook for 10 minutes.

Pour in tomatoes with their liquid, breaking tomatoes with a fork. Add bay leaf, rosemary, and salt. Grate in black pepper.

Pour in water or broth. If cooking dried beans, use some of the water in which beans were cooked.

Bring to a boil. When boiling, stir in quinoa. Put cabbage on top of the liquid, cover and reduce heat to medium. When cabbage has wilted, about 15 minutes, stir into the soup liquids. Cover again and cook for 40 minutes.

Check for seasoning. Stir in minced parsley and serve with a bowl of mixed parmigiano/romano cheese.

Serves 10 - 12
source: Kerstin Bergstrom