Nothing warms the spirit and the body like a delicious bowl of hot soup. Some veggies, beans, and legumes are all you need for this festive soup. Good parmigiano reggiano and extra virgin olive oil on top. During truffle time don’t hesitate to give a kick with a few thin slices of truffle – if you don’t have any truffle, you can use some high-quality truffle oil!
Make your own vegetable stock, it is easier than you can imagine. I often use all the vegetable scraps.
Vegetable stock
2 carrots
2 onions with skin on
1 garlic bulb halved
1-2 celery stalks
1 fennel
Thyme
Parsley
2 bay leaves
Salt
10 peppercorns
Wash well and chop in large pieces. Place the chopped vegetables and scraps in a large pot and fill with 2-3 l of water and simmer gently, covered, for one hour. Finally, strain the stock. Season to taste and use in your favorite recipes: pasta sauces, risottos, and soups. Allow the stock to cool to room temperature. Then, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze it for several months.
For this recipe, you can use a mix of chickpeas, cannellini beans, split peas, borlotti beans, red beans, red lentils, and green lentils. Soak them overnight.
Zuppa Italiana
500 g mix of beans/legumes soaked overnight
1 carrot cut into small pieces
1 onion cut into small pieces
1 celery cut into small pieces
1-2 cloves of garlic grated with this amazing grate
1 tbsp of tomato paste
1 dl uncooked Orzo pasta
1-1,5 L vegetable broth
1 tbsp of lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley leaves
For this recipe, you can use a mix of chickpeas, cannellini beans, split peas, borlotti beans, red beans, red lentils, and green lentils. Soak them overnight.
In a large pot, saute the onion, carrot, and celery in oil until tender. Add garlic and tomato paste, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth and beans. let it simmer gently for 30 minutes. Add the orzo pasta and cook for ten minutes more. Season to taste. Serve with extra virgin olive oil, parmesan cheese, and a few slices of truffle. Psst! if you don’t have any truffle, you can use some high-quality truffle oil!
The writer Cristina Moborg is an Italian-Finnish foodie, an entrepreneur at HEIROL, and a mother of four. For Cristina, cooking is a passion and a way to show bottomless love for her loved ones. The artistic side of Cristina can be seen in her cooking, as the end result is often picturesque, even though the road there can be a bit messy. Follow Cristina’s cooking adventures on Instagram!
Read more about HEIROL’s story here!
