Vegetable Soup with Burrata
Serves 6-8 | Preparation and cooking time ~60 min (+ 8-12 hours if soaking and cooking the beans)
I have to back up with my previous argument that tomatoes and fatty dairy products don’t go well together (except in pizzas and cheese-topped tomato tarts). Butter and tomatoes may not be the perfect match (both being slightly acidic and prominent or "self-sufficient" in taste) but the mild and creamy Italian burrata (made of mozzarella cheese surface/lining filled with semi-runny mozzarella leftovers/whey liquid and cream) completes a hearty vegetable soup just perfectly: it has a luscious mouthfeel; it’s like a quirky, soft, slightly elastic and milder alternative to a dollop of sour cream. Brown sugar, black pepper and lime juice complement the earthy flavors of cabbage and root vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, chili and canned tomatoes give the broth a deep, umami rich base note.
Ingredients
✧ 50 ml/0.2 cups (3-4 tblsp) ev olive oil
✧ 3 cloves of garlic
✧ 12 cherry/mini plum tomatoes
✧ 1 bell pepper/sweet pepper/capsicum
✧ 1 red chili pepper (seeds included)
✧ 1-2 yellow onions (I used two small ones)
✧ 3 medium-sized carrots
✧ 500 g/1.1 lb root parsley, root celery or parsnip
✧ 500 g/1.1 lb cabbage
✧ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
✧ 2000 ml (2 liters)/8.5 cups water
✧ 650 g/1.4 lb pre-cooked beans (I used 200 g/0.44 lb rinsed black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, cooked in plenty of water for 1 h 15 min, rinsed and drained; can be substituted with canned beans or lentils – if so, reduce the amount of salt)
✧ 500 g/1.1. lb/17.6 oz canned, crushed tomatoes
✧ 2-3 tblsp lime juice
✧ 2 bay leaves
✧ 3-4 tsp salt
✧ 2 tsp black pepper
✧ 2 bunches basil (1 for the soup, 1 for garnish)
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✧ 500 g/1.1 lb/17.6 oz burrata cheese (or Bufala mozzarella or vegan mozzarella)
✧ 10-20 ml/1-1.5 tblsp ev olive oil
✧ salt flakes
✧ black pepper
Instructions
1. Chop the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper and root parsley into tiny bits and dice the onion.
2. Mince the chili and garlic.
3. Sauté/stir-fry the vegetables in oil-sugar mix in a large soup pot on medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
4. Add the water, canned tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper, bring to boil and let simmer on medium/low heat for 15-20 minutes (without lid).
5. Add the cooked, rinsed beans and let simmer for a further 5-7 minutes. Keep the cabbage and root vegetables al dente (a lightly snappy mouthfeel; not soggy or mushy)
6. Check the salt, add a bunch of basil, take the soup aside and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
7. Distribute the soup into soup bowls and finish with bits of burrata or mozzarella, basil, a dollop of ev olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt flakes and black pepper.
8. Serve with rustic bread.
P.S. The black-eyed peas tend to sink to the bottom - but they're there.
Serves 6-8 | Preparation and cooking time ~60 min (+ 8-12 hours if soaking and cooking the beans)
I have to back up with my previous argument that tomatoes and fatty dairy products don’t go well together (except in pizzas and cheese-topped tomato tarts). Butter and tomatoes may not be the perfect match (both being slightly acidic and prominent or "self-sufficient" in taste) but the mild and creamy Italian burrata (made of mozzarella cheese surface/lining filled with semi-runny mozzarella leftovers/whey liquid and cream) completes a hearty vegetable soup just perfectly: it has a luscious mouthfeel; it’s like a quirky, soft, slightly elastic and milder alternative to a dollop of sour cream. Brown sugar, black pepper and lime juice complement the earthy flavors of cabbage and root vegetables. Cherry tomatoes, chili and canned tomatoes give the broth a deep, umami rich base note.
Ingredients
✧ 50 ml/0.2 cups (3-4 tblsp) ev olive oil
✧ 3 cloves of garlic
✧ 12 cherry/mini plum tomatoes
✧ 1 bell pepper/sweet pepper/capsicum
✧ 1 red chili pepper (seeds included)
✧ 1-2 yellow onions (I used two small ones)
✧ 3 medium-sized carrots
✧ 500 g/1.1 lb root parsley, root celery or parsnip
✧ 500 g/1.1 lb cabbage
✧ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
✧ 2000 ml (2 liters)/8.5 cups water
✧ 650 g/1.4 lb pre-cooked beans (I used 200 g/0.44 lb rinsed black-eyed peas, soaked overnight, cooked in plenty of water for 1 h 15 min, rinsed and drained; can be substituted with canned beans or lentils – if so, reduce the amount of salt)
✧ 500 g/1.1. lb/17.6 oz canned, crushed tomatoes
✧ 2-3 tblsp lime juice
✧ 2 bay leaves
✧ 3-4 tsp salt
✧ 2 tsp black pepper
✧ 2 bunches basil (1 for the soup, 1 for garnish)
---
✧ 500 g/1.1 lb/17.6 oz burrata cheese (or Bufala mozzarella or vegan mozzarella)
✧ 10-20 ml/1-1.5 tblsp ev olive oil
✧ salt flakes
✧ black pepper
Instructions
1. Chop the cabbage, carrots, bell pepper and root parsley into tiny bits and dice the onion.
2. Mince the chili and garlic.
3. Sauté/stir-fry the vegetables in oil-sugar mix in a large soup pot on medium heat for 10-12 minutes.
4. Add the water, canned tomatoes, lime juice, salt and pepper, bring to boil and let simmer on medium/low heat for 15-20 minutes (without lid).
5. Add the cooked, rinsed beans and let simmer for a further 5-7 minutes. Keep the cabbage and root vegetables al dente (a lightly snappy mouthfeel; not soggy or mushy)
6. Check the salt, add a bunch of basil, take the soup aside and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
7. Distribute the soup into soup bowls and finish with bits of burrata or mozzarella, basil, a dollop of ev olive oil and a tiny pinch of salt flakes and black pepper.
8. Serve with rustic bread.
P.S. The black-eyed peas tend to sink to the bottom - but they're there.
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