Florentine Vegetable Soup (Tuscany)

Soups

Ingredients

Olive oil -3/4 cup

Onion, thinly sliced - 1

Raw parma ham, shredded - 2 oz

Savoy cabbage, shredded - 1/2 head

Celery, diced - 2 stalks

Fresh pork - 1/4 pound

Thyme - 2 sprigs

Cooked white beans - 2 cups

Stock or water - 5 pints

Garlic - 2 cloves

Rosemary - 2 sprigs

Salt

Grated parmesan cheese

Heat 1/4 cup oil in  large pan and saute the onion and ham gently. Add the cabbage, celery, pork, thyme and beans. Let them brown, then add a ladleful of stock and cook slowly for 5 minutes. Pour in the rest of the stock and continue to cook gently for an hour.

Heat the remaining oil and add the garlic and rosemary. When the garlic cloves are brown, strain the oil into the soup. Simmer for another 15 minutes, check seasoning and serve with plenty of grated parmesan.

Serves 6-8