Recipe and photography by Nourished by Talia
Ingredients
Olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1.2 litres vegetable stock
1 400g tin cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed
200g Conchigliette pasta
200g cavolo nero, tough stems removed, leaves torn
Juice of 1 lemon, to taste
Extra virgin olive oil, to finish
Pinch of chilli flakes, optional to finish
Croutons:
100g stale bread, torn into rough chunks
20g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
Zest of 1 lemon
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Heat a good drizzle of olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8 minutes until softened and sweet. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Throw in the beans and conchigliette pasta and cook for a further 7-8 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and the soup has thickened slightly. Add the cavolo nero for the last few minutes, until wilted and tender. Add a little more stock here if you prefer a looser consistency.
Meanwhile, toss the bread with a drizzle of olive oil, parmesan and lemon zest and spread out on a baking tray. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden and crispy.
Finish the soup with lemon juice and plenty of black pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, top with the lemony parmesan croutons, extra grated parmesan, a pinch of chilli flakes and a generous drizzle of olive oil to serve.
