It’s the start of the silly season, and there are so many parties, events and carol concerts to go to that, whenever I have a rare night in, I want to hunker down and tuck into a great big bowl of comforting, nutritious food. Winter is a time to embrace carbs and vegetables, not least because they’re an excellent way to get good gut health (the magic is in the fibre). In fact, such dishes are so incredibly tasty (especially when properly seasoned) that I’ll happily go without meat for days on end. They also make me feel full of vim, so are perfect for dancing my way through the Christmas season.
Ribollita
Cooking dried beans from scratch gives the final dish a silkier texture, and is much more cost-effective. That said, when I’m in a rush, I go for tinned. Serves six to eight.
3 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
3 celery sticks, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch parsley, picked and chopped
500g cavolo nero or 1 small savoy cabbage, stems or core removed, leaves shredded
400g tin plum tomatoes, drained and rinsed
250g stale sourdough or ciabatta, crusts discarded, ripped into pieces
Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve
For the beans
250g dried borlotti or cannellini beans, soaked overnight (or 800g tinned, drained and rinsed – ie, 2 tins)
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 head garlic, cut in half crossways
1 handful thyme or parsley
If using dried beans, put them in a big pot, pour in cold water to cover by at least 10cm, add the bicarb, garlic and herbs and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and cook until tender – anywhere from one to two hours, depending on how recently the beans were harvested. If using tinned, omit this stage.
Meanwhile, warm the oil in a deep, heavy pan on a medium-low heat, add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and half the parsley, and season generously. Leave to sweat, stirring from time to time, for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.
Bring a deep pan of salted water to a boil and blanch the cabbage until tender, about five minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the cabbage in the water. Stir the tomatoes into the onion mix, breaking them up with the spoon as you do so, add four to five tablespoons of the cabbage cooking water and leave to cook for 10 minutes more.
Whizz half the beans with a stick blender, until smooth and creamy (loosen with a few tablespoons of the bean cooking water, or tap water), then reunite with the whole beans and stir the lot into the soup pot. Add the cabbage and bread, add enough cabbage water just to cover the veg, and season generously. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and leave to cook gently for 20-30 minutes.
Spoon the rich, thick soup into bowls, scatter over the remaining parsley and drizzle with lots of good extra-virgin olive oil.
Squash and pasta soup with fried sage and parmesan
If you have a parmesan rind or two in the fridge, this is the perfect excuse to use them up. You could also add some chopped pancetta or streaky bacon to the onion mix, for a more savoury finish. Serves six to eight.
3 tbsp olive oil
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
12 sage leaves, finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1kg acorn squash (or other seasonal squash), peeled, deseeded and cut into large, even-sized chunks
300g floury potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
400g tin plum tomatoes, drained and rinsed of their juices
½ tsp dried chilli, optional
2 parmesan rinds (optional)
100g dittalini (or similar small pasta)
1 tbsp red-wine vinegar
To serve
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
12 sage leaves
Grated parmesan
Heat the oil in a large, deep pan, then add the celery, onions, garlic, sage and rosemary, season generously and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until soft.
Stir in the squash, potato, tomatoes, chilli and parmesan rinds (if using), season again, and add just enough boiling water to cover. Pop a lid on the pan and simmer gently until the squash is very soft – about half an hour.
Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain, then rinse under cold water to prevent it sticking.
Once the squash is soft, use a hand blender or potato masher to break down the squash and potato, but leave a few chunks for extra texture. Stir in the pasta and add enough boiling water to create your perfect soup-like consistency. Stir in the vinegar, adjust the seasoning to taste, and keep warm.
To serve, gently warm the oil on a medium-high heat, then fry the sage leaves for two minutes, turning them once, until crisp. Lift out the leaves, and keep the oil for drizzling over the soup. Ladle the soup into bowls, and top with the crisp fried sage, some of the sage oil, more good extra-virgin olive oil, if you wish, and some grated parmesan.
And for the rest of the week…
Both today’s soups keep happily in the fridge for up to a week; their flavour improves with time, so make them a day or two in advance, if you can. If you bought a loaf of sourdough for the first recipe, make breadcrumbs with any leftovers. Dry these out somewhere warm, then fry in butter with salt or sugar, to add delicious crunch to pasta dishes or fruit purees. If you have excess rosemary and sage, finely chop both and freeze for later use. Or use the former to make a rosemary, garlic and chilli oil – that’s excellent on pizza.
