Vegetarian Mains
Kale, Cabbage & Faro Soup
Adapted from: Food & Wine Magazine
This is a super rich and satisfying soup that will win over meat-lovers and folks who think that healthy foods (like leafy greens and whole grains) taste bland. If you’ve never cooked with anchovies and didn’t think that you wanted to because “fishy” things aren’t for you, I encourage you to give them a try. They don’t taste fishy. Anchovies, when used like in this recipe, give a rich, decadent flavor that isn’t fish-like at all. Anchovies are super high in salt (and so is the parmesan cheese) so use the lowest sodium stock that you can find and don’t add any other salt to the soup. But while anchovies are high in salt (which isn’t good for you) they are also super high in healthy omega-3 oils (which are). And anchovies from the Pacific Ocean get an Oceanwise seal of approval (note that the anchovies in the picture are from the Atlantic – I didn’t know the difference until after I bought these). Add the omega-3 rich anchovies to the whole grain faro and abundance of leafy greens and overall I rank this as a very healthy dish.
This recipe does take longer to cook. But it makes a big batch and freezes great. So you can enjoy this rich, warming dish throughout the winter.
It’s a chunky soup that I enjoy with a fork and spoon.
Ingredients
| 1 TBSP | olive oil |
| 1 | onion, finely diced |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 tin (50g) | anchovies, drained |
| 1.25 cups | faro |
| 1 small head | green cabbage (preferably Savoy) |
| 1 bunch | kale (my favourite is Lacinato) |
| 2 Litres | low or no sodium vegetable stock (preferably homemade) |
| 1 cup | water |
| 6 | thyme sprigs (or 1 TBSP dried thyme) |
| 1 small | rosemary sprig (or ½-3/4 TBSP dried rosemary) |
| 1 ounce | Parmigiano-Reggiano rind |
Preparation
- In a very large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently until just translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the cabbage and kale into ½-inch pieces.
- To the pot, add the garlic and anchovies, stirring to break up the anchovies until they are almost all melted.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high. Add the faro and stir well to cover all the grains in the oil. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the cabbage and kale. Cook, stirring until the greens have just wilted.
- Add the stock, water, thyme, rosemary and cheese rind. Turn the heat up to high, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for about an hour (until the faro is cooked). Stir occasionally to make sure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- ENJOY!
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