WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH PUMPKIN AND CABBAGE
Ingredients:
1 cup cannelloni or Great Northern beans
6 cups chicken broth, canned or homemade*
4 cups diced pumpkin or butternut squash
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 tablespoons fresh, minced herbs: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
Beans: Pick through the beans removing all discolored ones and bits of gravel. Rinse them and cover them with an 4”i of cool water overnight. The next day drain the beans, place them in a saucepan and cover with cool water by one inch. Bring the water to a boil and cook the beans for 10 minutes. Drain off the water.
Soup: Combine the beans with 4 cups of broth, bring to a simmer. After 20 minutes, add the diced pumpkin, 1 more cup of chicken broth, and a teaspoon of salt. At the 30 minute mark, stir in the cabbage strands and simmer 10 minutes more, or until the ingredients are tender. Stir in the herbs and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
*Homemade Chicken Stock
Ingredients for 6 cups:
2 pounds chicken backs, wings or leg pieces.
1 large yellow onion
2 carrots
1 stalk celery
1 small leek (optional)
Herbs: 3 sprits fresh parsley, 1 sprig fresh thyme, 1 bay leaf
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Brown the chicken parts for 30 minutes removing the pan after 15 minutes to turn the pieces and remove fat from the pan. Add chopped up onion with the skin intact and carrots and roast another 15 miinutes.
Transfer the chicken and vegetable pieces to a 5 quart saucepan, cover with cool water and bring to a simmer. Remove fat from the roaster and deglaze the pan adding this liquid to the pan. When the water begins to simmer, skim foam off the top and add remaining vegetables and herbs. Cook at a slow simmer for 3 hours, adding more water to maintain the original water lever.
Strain the stock, chill it, remove fat and reserve for soup recipe.
