Nigel Slater's soup-stew of squash and cabbage

By Birgitta

Nigel Slater. A knuckle end of Parma ham would be a sound addition here if your local deli will sell you one.

Ingredients

• 250 g dried beans
• 2 bay leaves
• olive oil
• 150 g pancetta in the piece
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions
• a thick slice of butter
• 2 carrots
• 2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 400 g roughly chopped tomatoes
• 1 litre water or vegetable stock
• 1 small butternut squash or small pumpkin
• a short length of crust from a lump of Parmesan
• a handful of flat-leafed parsley
• 2 large handfuls of cavolo nero or 1/2 a small cabbage, cut into wedges

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from guardian.co.uk

Preparation

Step 1

Soak the beans overnight in deep, cold water. Drain, tip them into a large, deep saucepan and cover them with fresh water. Bring them to the boil then remove the froth that comes to the surface with a draining spoon. Drop in the bay leaves, a tablespoon or so of olive oil, then leave to boil merrily for 45-60 minutes or so, until the beans are tender. (Older beans take a bit longer.) Add salt about 20 minutes before the end of cooking. Drain and set aside. (I sometimes put a shot of olive oil over them at this point to prevent them from sticking together.)

To make the soup: cut the pancetta into short lengths or fat cubes and put them in a deep pan with a couple of spoonfuls of oil and set over a moderate heat. Peel the onions, halve them and slice them thinly. Once the butter melts and the pancetta has begun to sizzle, add the onions and stir them from time to time until they soften.

Scrub the carrots, cut them into large dice, then add them to the onion with the garlic. Let everything soften without colouring, lowering the heat as you need to. Add the tomatoes, then let them soften and melt a little into the other vegetables before pouring in the water. Peel and roughly chop the squash or pumpkin and stir in.

Now add the piece of Parma ham bone, if you have one, and the Parmesan rind. Bring the soup almost to the boil then turn down the heat so the soup gently simmers. Cover with a lid, but set it askew, so that some of the steam escapes. Leave to simmer, with only the occasional stir, for an hour and a half - the soup should be thick, rich and heavy.

Add the beans to the pot along with the parsley, roughly chopped, and the cabbage leaves. Continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan.