Ingredients
For the soup
- ¼ medium green cabbage, shredded
- 1 leek, white part only, sliced
- 4-5 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (440g) can butter beans, drained
- 4 whole kale leaves
- 2 fresh bay leaves // or 4 dried
- 4 tsp cooking oil
For the croutons
- 4 slices (dark rye) sourdough, cut into 1cm squares
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Cabbage, bean and crispy kale soup
Method
To make the soup, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add shredded cabbage and leeks. Cook, stirring, until the cabbage has wilted and reduced volume by half.
Add stock and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the cabbage has softened. Add canned beans and simmer for another 5 minutes. In the meantime prepare kale (and croutons).
To prepare the kale, wash the leaves and stems under cold running water, shake off excess water. Chop across the leaves into 1cm wide ribbons. Heat 2 teaspoons of cooking oil in a medium frypan over medium heat. Add kale and cook, stirring, until wilted and becoming crisp. Turn off the heat and leave until serving.
To make the croutons, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in another fry pan over medium high heat. Add bread squares and cook, stirring, until the croutons are lightly browned and crisp.
To serve, divide the soup between serving bowls. Top with crispy kale and serve croutons on the side. Pop a few croutons into the soup at a time so that they can retain their crunch in every bite.
Martyna Candrick is a Sydney-based recipe developer, e-cookbook author and food blogger. She has worked for all-natural brands such as Anathoth and Brookfarm and is a regular contributor to Honest Cooking Magazine. This recipe originally appeared in her e-book “My Whole Food Philosophy”
Submitted byMartyna Candrick
Tips and Tricks
Look for small leeks with crisp green tops. Trim the tops and store in a sealed plastic bag in the crisper for one week.
If you need to use up kale, try adding it raw to a smoothie or sauteed with eggs for breakfast.
To make the most of bread that has gone slightly stale, make your own breadcrumbs – place bread slices on baking pan and bake in a hot oven then crumble. Breadcrumbs are best stored in the freezer in an airtight container.
