Olga's Vegetable Soup

In the November 2008 issue of Men's Health there is a great story "Italian Food Like Grandma Used To Make" written by Mark Bittman. The article goes into great detail about the "real" food of Italy and what makes Italian food over in Italy so damn good. The answer is (drumroll please) because its SIMPLE. In Italy no one talks about the availability of local ingredients because it's a give in , the fish is caught the day it's served, the eggs and cheese come from a Giuseppi down the road, and the pasta is still rolled by Nonna. It's a tradition of home cooking that has earned international recognition.

Back in the old country (lol..listen to me) Italy was a poor country and in most poor countries cooks work largely with homegrown vegetables (this is were the tomatoes come in) but besides that rice and homemade starches like pasta and bread were a staple. Meat was too expensive for common people, so it was used sparingly,like a condiment. Only when Italians arrived in America (land of the cheap meat) did ingredients change.

Below is a recipe by Olga Petri, a 75 year old Tuscan grandmother. I have made this recipe several times and love it, it's simple, healthy and Oh so GOOD!!

Ingredients
3/4 cup olive oil (more or less)
2 onions, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, peeled and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch parsley, washed and chopped, thick stems discarded
2 or 3 cabbage leaves, chopped
1 bunch chard, washed and chopped
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 to 4 cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini, with their liquid if possible

How to make it

1 Put about a third of the olive oil in the bottom of a deep pot over medium heat. Add half each of the chopped onions, carrots, and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they soften (about 10 minutes). Add half of the remaining oil and repeat the process, seasoning with salt and pepper as you go. Add the last of the oil with the parsley, cabbage, and chard, and cook, stirring occasionally, until everything is softened but not browned. Adjust the heat as necessary.

2 Add the tomato paste and stir. Partially mash the beans, leaving some of them more or less whole; add them to the pot, along with any bean-cooking liquid and enough water to make the whole mixture stewy but not too watery.

3 Keep cooking, tasting, and seasoning as necessary, until all the vegetables are very tender and the soup is hot.

Serve hot or warm.

Time: 1 hour / Servings: 10