Today we talk about cabbage and beans, a delicious soup made even more enticing by the presence of speck, which gives it an extra touch that enhances its taste and aroma. It is a simple dish, to be enjoyed immediately or the next day, at lunch or dinner, as long as it’s hot. You can use either beans boiled by us or canned beans, depending on our needs and what we already have in the fridge.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
- 9 oz boiled beans
- 1.1 lbs cleaned cabbage
- 3 slices speck
- a quarter onion (small)
- to taste celery
- to taste fine salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- 1 chili pepper
- 2 glasses water or bean cooking liquid
Steps
If using canned beans, you will need to discard the preservation liquid and rinse them well under running water.
Remove the waste parts from the cabbage. Slice it thinly and then chop it coarsely.
Wash it under running water and let it drain in a colander.
Meanwhile, in a pot, sauté finely chopped onion and celery with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, over high heat on the smallest burner, add chili pepper if desired, and the three slices of speck chopped coarsely.
When the speck and onion are browned, add the cabbage, stir often, and let it season for 5 minutes, always over high heat.
Then add the already boiled beans and 2 full glasses of water (or the bean cooking liquid), whether hot or at room temperature.
Salt, stir, cover the pot and reduce the heat to the minimum, letting it cook until the cabbage is tender (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Once cooked and the heat turned off, you can add some grated table cheese.
If you want to make it a complete dish, you can add rice or pasta (I prefer rice) and finish cooking.
Extra tip. If you have some cheese rinds in the fridge, scrape them with a knife (be careful with your hands), add them to the cabbage along with the beans; I assure you that this delicious soup will become even more enticing, fragrant, and flavorful.
