Each week we’ll bring you a tasty recipe passed down by Emanuel families, from the Emanuel School Community Cookbook, The Family Meal. 

From the Kitchen of Holians/Hofman/Olian Families 

Slow Thick Vegetable Soup   

Ingredients 

Olive oil
Butter
2 onions, finely chopped
3 carrots, diced
3 celery sticks, diced
2-3 handfuls green beans, 2cm pieces
1/2 bunch tuscan kale or silverbeet, finely chopped
1 x 400g can cannellini beans
200g puy or brown lentils
200g whole tinned tomatoes
Parmesan rind
1 1/2 litres Vegetable Stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions  

The key to this recipe is time – give each ingredient the cooking time it deserves and be rewarded with a full-bodied bowl of yumminess.
Use a large stock pot or cast-iron pot.
Melt butter and olive oil and heat over low-medium flame.
Add onions and garlic and a sprinkle of salt. Allow 10 minutes.
Next add carrots and cook slowly while stirring occasionally to allow it to caramalise. This should take 5-8 minutes.
Add each of the following ingredients one at a time: repeat the slow cooking process of 5-7 minutes per ingredient: celery, potatoes, zucchini, the beans.
Adjust the flame if cooking too fast.
Next add cannellini beans, lentils and 1/2 can of crushed tomatoes.
Cover ingredients with vegetable or chicken stock.
Season with salt and pepper. Add parmesan rind.
Bring to boil. Then turn down to very slow simmer and cover pot with lid.
Leave for 30 minutes – 1 1/2 hours (the longer the better).
15 minutes before the end add kale and parsley.
Add water if required if reduces too much.
To serve, add shaved parmesan and crunchy yummy bread.

Serves 4-6  

You can order the Emanuel School Community Cookbook, The Family Meal by contacting rubykb@gmail.com