White bean & cavolo nero broth

Ingredients

For 2 portions

• Leek150 g
• Onion1 onion (100 g)
• Celery80 g
• Olive oil20 ml
• Garlic3 cloves (15 g)
• Vegetable stock800 ml
• Ripe tomatoes200 g
• Carrots120 g
• Cannellini beans120 g
• Fresh thyme3 g
• Cavolo nero80 g
• Lemon juice15 ml
• Sea salt3 g
• Black pepper1 g
• Fresh basil10 g
• Flat-leaf parsley10 g

Method

1. 1

   Prepare your ingredients: leek — trim, halve lengthways, wash and slice; onion — peel and dice; celery — finely dice; garlic — peel and crush or finely slice; vegetable stock — make up from a stock cube or pot, or use homemade; ripe tomatoes — halve and roast or chop roughly; carrots — peel and slice into 1 cm rounds; cannellini beans — drain and rinse a tin (drained weight); fresh thyme — strip leaves from 4–5 sprigs; cavolo nero — strip leaves from stems and shred; lemon juice — juice of ½ lemon; fresh basil — tear leaves; flat-leaf parsley — roughly chop.

2. 2

   Warm the olive oil in a large pan over a medium-low heat and soften the leek, onion and celery with a pinch of salt for 8–10 minutes, without colouring.

3. 3

   Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the ripe tomatoes, carrots, cannellini beans and fresh thyme, then pour in 800 ml hot stock. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 25 minutes.

5. 5

   Add the cavolo nero for the final 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice.

7. 7

   Taste and adjust with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

8. 8

   Ladle into warm bowls and finish with the fresh basil and flat-leaf parsley and a little olive oil.