It's been years since I made this stew. And I don't think I would have survived my uni days in Sydney without it.
I never opted for the job but it seems like I used to cook for my whole class! In those days as a student, I used to run up 350 dollar grocery bills. No wonder I had to work multiple jobs!
But when moolah was lean and the weather was cold, this was one of those soups that I would always turn to.
Rustic almost reminiscent of peasant food, it's marvelous in that it uses excellent 'ruffage' as my Mum likes to call it - savoy cabbage and big swiss chard leaves all shredded up, a handful of rice and simmered together simmering in a big pot until all soft and swollen.
At this point the soup is pretty much blah but makes a swift turn around and goes from boring to fragrant as soon as lovely pesto hits the pot. I can't lie - I didn't used to make my own pesto those days and a quick run to the Italian delicatessen down the road was my quick fix.
Now things are a little different and I think that there is no second to homemade pesto.
A light, wholesome, fragrant and wonderful soup with thick slices of rustic bread, slathered up with some rich Irish butter, not so blah, now is it my friends?!
Gather the ingredients,Savoy cabbage, 2-3 large leaves (to yield 2 cups thinly sliced), Swiss chard, 2-3 large leaves (to yield 2 cups thinly sliced), 1 cup Italian parsley leaves, packed, 4 cups chicken stock + 3 cups water, 1/2 cup raw long-grain rice, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Pesto: 1 cups basil leaves, packed, 2 cloves garlic, peeled, 2 tbs Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded, 2 tbs pine nuts, ¼ cup + 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Crusty bread, for serving
Pesto – In a food processor capable of preparing fine pastes, grind the garlic, basil, pine nuts and olive oil. Scrape the side of the bowl blend again to a fine paste. Set aside.
Savoy cabbage & Swiss chard – Wash the leaves. Separate
from stalks and roll and halve the leaves lengthwise. Roll the leaves and
thinly slice. Place together in a bowl.
Parsley – Wash, finely
chop and set aside.
In a large deep stock pot, add the Savoy cabbage, Swiss chard and parsley along with the chicken stock & water. Bring to a rolling boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes until the leaves have softened.
Add the raw rice and ½ the pesto and cook for another 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Just before serving, heat until very hot, add the remaining pesto, stir and serve immediately.
Recipe for
Greens, Rice & Pesto Stew from Genoa
Preparation time - 20 minutes
Cooking time- 30 minutes
Serves 4-6
Shopping list
Savoy cabbage, 2-3 large leaves (to yield 2 cups thinly sliced)
Swiss chard, 2-3 large leaves (to yield 2 cups thinly sliced)
1 cup Italian parsley leaves, packed
4 cups chicken stock + 3 cups water
1/2 cup raw long-grain rice
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Pesto:
1 cups basil leaves, packed
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbs Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded
2 tbs pine nuts
¼ cup + 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Crusty bread, for serving
Preparation:
- Savoy cabbage & Swiss chard – Wash the leaves. Separate from stalks and roll and halve the leaves lengthwise. Roll the leaves and thinly slice. Place together in a bowl.
- Parsley – Wash, finely chop and set aside.
- Pesto – In a food processor capable of preparing fine pastes, grind the garlic, basil, pine nuts and olive oil. Scrape the side of the bowl blend again to a fine paste. Set aside.
Method:
- In a large deep stock pot, add the Savoy cabbage, Swiss chard and parsley along with the chicken stock & water. Bring to a rolling boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes until the leaves have softened.
- Add the raw rice and ½ the pesto and cook for another 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Just before serving, heat until very hot, add the remaining pesto, stir and serve immediately.
Enjoy!
