1 - 1 1/2 cups Great Northern Beans
2 ounces salt pork or pancetta
10 to 12 cups beef or chicken
broth 1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup loosely packed parsley,
chopped
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 head savoy or curly cabbage,
sliced
1 potato, diced
2 zucchini, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cups chopped Italian styled
peeled plum tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated for
garnish
Sort and rinse beans. Bring beans to boil for 2 minutes in 8 cups of water, cover, and set aside to soak for 1 hour. Drain water and rinse beans; Place in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add
salt pork or pancetta and 6 cups of broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and cook gently for about 1 hour.
Heat oil in a separate large stockpot.
Add chopped vegetables (onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley) and sauté
gently 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining vegetables and
tomatoes. Add remaining 5 cups broth. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until
vegetables are tender.
Remove salt pork or pancetta from
beans. Dice finely. Transfer half of the beans to a food processor or a blender
and blend into a paste. Add mashed beans to the vegetables. Add remaining whole
beans, broth, and diced pork to vegetables.
Simmer 5 minutes longer. Season
soup with salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.
