Ingredients
- 3/4 cup dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion, thinly sliced
- 1 leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
- 1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced, plus 1 whole garlic clove
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 pound chopped cavolo nero (black cabbage), roughly chopped
- 1/2 pound chopped white cabbage, roughly chopped
- 2 scant tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cups water
- 4 (1/2-inch) slices Italian peasant bread
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Directions
Place the presoaked cannellini beans in a medium stockpot. Add water to just cover the beans and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and let the beans simmer until tender, about 1 hour.
In a 12-inch saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the onion, leek, carrot, celery, sliced garlic, and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the black and white cabbages and cook until the cabbage has softened and the flavors have blended, about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper, to taste. Remove the sprigs of rosemary and thyme and the bay leaf. Add the tomato paste, and stir until the tomato paste is well distributed throughout the vegetable mixture.
Preheat the grill or broiler.
Add the vegetable mixture to the pot with beans and water and let simmer until the flavors are well blended, about 30 minutes more. When the soup is close to being done, toast or grill the bread until both sides are browned. Cut the remaining garlic clove in half, and rub the toasted bread with the cut end of the garlic. Discard the garlic.
Serve the soup hot in 4 warmed bowls with the garlic bruschetta on the side. Garnish with a sprinkling of Parmigiano, to taste.
















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By bogfranklin
on August 08, 2012
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Mario Batali is brilliant and this soup is spectacular to say the least. Do not substitute the black kale in the recipe as it is an important element. I also added some pancetta which added to the flavour and instead of the tomato paste I added a whole can of san marzano plumb tomatoes and found the result to be dynamite. The rosemary should not be left out as it is in the recipe or the thyme. Wonderful. I note that this soup was one of the featured dishes on Around The World In 80 Plates when the contestants visited the Tuscany region. The trick from what I am able to gather is to simmer very slightly for the period in question which in this recipe is 30 minutes (or more.... but the Tuscan cooks opted for slower simmering in the traditional recipe of about 1 1/2 hours.
By jmwill_9110289
Celina, OH
on November 04, 2008
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I love this soup, along with all my family members. They keep asking for more!
By steviaeverlast_...
Southaven, MS
on April 23, 2007
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Once again, Mario has shared a recipe that I love. This soup was wonderful with a lovely Italian wine. I'm very anxious to share it with my friends.
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