Cabbage & Bean Soup with Parmesan and Chilli

Yummo, yummy-yum-yum… I LOVE this soup ! No need to slave away at your stove for hours making stock or boiling ham bones. You can whip this up in under half an hour and be blessed with a generous hit of flavour, not to mention a healthy, economical meal and a satisfied tum. Depending on how much soup you make you may have leftovers too which I guarantee will taste better the next day. The recipe uses chicken stock but if you want to make it vegetarian, use vegie stock or Massel’s brand chicken stock powder (like I do) which has no animal content. This recipe is adapted from Dani Spies‘ Cabbage and Butter Bean soup posted on her You Tube channel about three years ago. The grated parmesan on top right before serving + pinch of chilli flakes is mandatory goodness… don’t leave them out. I prefer the powdery-packet stuff for this soup rather than freshly shaved or grated.
P.S. I am LOVING Masterchef (Australia) in NEW YORK CITY !!!

Cabbage & Bean Soup with Parmesan and Chilli
-4 medium Desiree potatoes (chopped into small chunks)
-1/2 medium cabbage (cored and thinly sliced)
-1 brown onion (halved and sliced thinly)
-400gram can of cannelini beans (drained and rinsed)
-400gram can of diced tomatoes
-1 carrot (chopped into small chunks)
-1 stick of celery (chopped)
-3 cloves of fresh garlic (grated or minced)
-2 tablespoon’s of rice bran oil (or peanut oil)
-1 litre of chicken stock (I have successfully used Massel’s brand chicken stock powder in a litre of water for this recipe.. Massel’s has no animal content and can be served to vegetarian’s.. or alternatively use vegetable stock)
-Grated parmesan cheese to generously sprinkle on top when serving (I like about a tablespoon per bowl, but adjust according to your tastes.. My favourite is ‘Perfect Italiano’ brand in the dried pasta section of your supermarket.. I prefer it to freshly grated in this recipe)
-Dried chilli flakes, about a pinch per bowl, served right at the end
-Optional: Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish and another dimension of flavour
-A buttered french baguette is nice with this soup, but I don’t always have the bread..it isn’t necessary
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-Heat oil in your soup pot and saute chopped potatoes and carrots until you see some colour in your potatoes, at least 5 minutes.
-Add sliced onions and chopped celery, cook another two or three minutes.
-Add garlic, stir and cook-off for a minute, being careful not to burn or give it any colour.
-Add drained & rinsed cannelini beans, tinned tomatoes and chicken stock.
-Season with salt and pepper to your tastes (.. if your stock powder has a fair amount of salt in it..you may not need to add much).
-Let soup ingredients bubble on the stove for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft enough to eat.
-Add thinly sliced cabbage, cover and bubble away for another 5 minutes or so. You just want it to be wilted..and not ‘mush’. The cabbage will still have some texture without it being crunchy.
-The soup is ready to eat when the cabbage is done, but it improves while ‘sitting’. If I can spare the time, I’ll let it sit for 15 or 20 minutes before dishing up.. or alternatively, let it sit for 5 minutes in your serving bowls before adding the toppings and calling “dinner time” !
-Ladle soup into bowls, sprinkle over about a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of chilli flakes over each serving.
-Optional: Sprinkle over some finely chopped fresh parsley as the final garnish, for colour and an extra flavour dimension.
-Leftovers are wonderful the next day !
-Optional: Serve with slices of buttered french baguette.