Lydias Mother Cabbage Soup Food

MOM'S CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• For the soup: Heat the olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, carrots and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent (not browned), about 8 minutes. Add salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to your desired preference. Then stir in the fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring the entire mixture to a boil.
• Once boiling, stir in the cabbage and beans and keep it simmering, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Add more stock or water if you prefer more liquid and taste and season with more salt and pepper, if necessary. When finished, sprinkle over and stir in the parsley for color and flavor.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with crostini or garlic bread, if desired.
• For the crostini: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place the bread slices on a baking sheet. Brush the tops with olive oil. You can also smear minced garlic over the top, if desired.
• Bake until crunchy and golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Take the crostini out of the oven, drizzle the tops with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt over the top.

VEGETABLE SOUP (LIDIA BASTIANICH)

Steps:

• Add onion chunks, garlic cloves, basil, parsley, and 1/4 cup olive oil in the food processor bowl; chop to a chunky-textured pesto.
• Add remaining 1/4 cup olive oil into large soup pot, set over med-high heat; scrape in the pesto; cook, stirring often, as it sizzles and dries, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, lift the rehydrated porcini from the soaking liquid (strain/reserve the liquid) and chop into fine bits.
• When the pesto just begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, drop the porcini, the chopped celery, carrots, tomato, and diced potatoes into the pot, and stir well.
• Cook over high heat, stirring until the potatoes become crusty and start to stick to the bottom.
• Pour in the cold water and the porcini soaking liquid; stir in the salt and heat the water to a vigorous bubble.
• Drop in the cheese rind, partially cover the pot, and adjust to maintain a steady bubbling.
• Cook 45 minutes to 1 hour--until the vegetables begin to break down; add the chicory, spinach, and peas.
• Return to a bubbling boil, and cook 30 minutes longer, until the broth is concentrated and flavorful and the total volume has reduced by about a quarter.
• Ladle the simmering soup into warm bowls; sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated cheese over each portion, and finish with a swirl of excellent olive oil; pass more grated cheese at the table.

CABBAGE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a casserole pot over a low heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot, along with a generous pinch of salt, and fry gently for 15 mins, or until the veg begins to soften. If you're using pancetta, add it to the pan, turn up the heat and fry for a few mins more until turning golden brown. Tip in the cabbage and fry for 5 mins, then stir through the garlic, paprika and rosemary and cook for 1 min more.
• Tip the chopped tomatoes and stock into the pan. Bring to a simmer, then cook, uncovered, for 30 mins, adding the chickpeas for the final 10 mins. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
• Ladle the soup into six deep bowls. Serve with the shaved parmesan and crusty bread, if you like.