White Bean and Savoy Cabbage Stew with Big Cheese Croutons
And, please welcome Sugo!
We adopted a new family member last week from the wonderful Hounds in Pounds rescue in New Jersey. Please meet Sugo! He’s a beautiful mutt who we found out is roughly half Husky and half mini-Schnauzer. His sibling’s adoptive parents named them both “Shnusky’s!” Sugo is about 1.5 years old, so not quite a puppy and not a full grown adult quite yet. He’s a gentle, skittish muppet who’s gaining confidence every day.
His arrival has touched a lot for me, which I’m still sorting through. But, it’s my great honor and privilege to welcome this beautiful, loving animal home. He’s got two parents who are crazy about him and can’t wait to get to know him even better. I only wish he’d let me sleep in a littler later than 5 am…
I also want to deeply thank everyone who participated in the “Ask Me Anything!” brouhaha. It was such a joy to do and I will get back to the questions I didn’t get to in the next round. It was also so fun to get your questions and see what you’re interested in! Erin, I still have a Utica Greens tab open on my computer for research…
✨✨ ✨ I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I love writing them. If you’re able to support my work, I’d be grateful. ✨✨✨
This all said, as much as I love making the videos, they are equally laborious to shoot, produce and edit, so moving forward you’ll need to upgrade to a paid subscription if you’d like to join us. Thank you for understanding!
Now on to some other fun stuff (!) and a recipe that is cozy and comforting, which is something we all desperately need right now.
🍕 Pizza Night: Deliciously Doable Recipes for Pizza and Salad, by my dear friend Ali Stafford. The book comes out April 16, but I’d ordered now if I were you. Do you remember when I included that amazing focaccia recipe? That was Ali’s too. All of her recipes are foolproof as evidence by her first book Bread Toast Crumbs where she had me (!) baking bread on the regular. This book will include 52 seasonal pizzas paired with salad. Get it!
📽️ Documentary Now! I realize I’m late to the game on this series, but man I’m so happy to have found it! Granted you should probably enjoy/have some documentary knowledge if you indulge, but the spoofs are all hilarious and written by SNL veterans including Fred Armisen, Seth Meyers, and Bill Hader. Standouts for me include season 3’s Original Cast Album: Co-Op; Batsh*t Valley: Part 1 and 2 and in season 4 Trouver Frisson. Just trust me.
🍷 Unlitro. Made from a blend of Alicante, Mourvèdre, Sangiovese and a few other varietals, this easy drinking Italian red is Colu-sized and frequently on our table. It’s also around $20. I like drinking it with a slight chill in one of these Rona ISO tasing glasses so I can pretend I’m in a wine bar in Italy.
White Bean and Savoy Cabbage Stew with Big Cheese Croutons
This is a hearty and stick-to-your ribs sorta of soup. It’s perfect for when the weather dips into brisker temperatures. I love Savoy cabbage and call for it here, but if escarole or Lacinato kale is easier to find, those work too. This dish is vegetarian, but you could add pancetta or a bit of bacon should you like. I’d crisp it up first, set it aside, and then add it back right before the soup goes in the oven.
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 small bulb of fennel, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced and leaves chopped and reserved for garnish
6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 15-ounce cans butter or cannellini beans
4 cups shredded green cabbage, I prefer Savoy
11-ounces bread from a rustic loaf torn into 1 ½ inch pieces, about 3 cups
4 ounces fontina or gruyere or a combination of both
2 scallions, thinly sliced
Flaky salt for serving
METHOD
Heat the oven to 450 degrees
In a medium or 10-inch round Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. When it shimmers, add the onion, fennel and the celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and the thyme cook one minute more. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add in the stock and the beans and bring to a simmer. With a wooden spoon or potato masher (my personal choice!), break down some of the beans. This will release some of their starchiness and thicken up your soup. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Add in the cabbage, in batches if necessary, and cook until it has wilted and started to soften, about 10 minutes more.
Turn off the heat and top the soup with the bread and drizzle well with olive oil. Place in the oven to cook for about 10 minutes or so to give the croutons a head start on crisping up. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the reserved celery leaves and the scallions. Serve immediately in deep bowls. Garnish with flaky salt.
I hope you enjoy the stew and everything else! If you make it, please let me know. Have a good rest of your week.
With love,
Colu x
I just want you to know that this looks so good, I have had this tab open on my laptop since you published. I don't have an oven in Paris but I figured there has to be a way around that!
Cabbage stew forever!