23 Oct cavolo nero stew

As the colder weather creeps in, we welcome it with hearty soups and comforting broths. This week’s cavalo nero broth is a kind of winter minestrone. It uses the dark greens of cavalo nero, which grows quite happily in Ireland at this time of year, and pairs it with chorizo and cannellini beans.

Cavalo Nero and Chorizo Stew 

Serves 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

1 small onion

2 cloves of garlic

1 large potato

1 carrot

50g of cooking chorizo sausage

500ml of chicken stock

1 x 400ml tin of cannellini beans

1 x 400ml tin of chopped tomatoes

200g pieces of cavalo nero

Salt

Pepper

Method

1. Peel and finely slice the onion. Peel and roughly chop the garlic, potato and carrot. Slice the chorizo into rounds

2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium to high heat. Fry the onion and chorizo for 3 minutes. Then add the garlic, potato and carrot. Fry for another 5 minutes.

3. Pour in the chicken stock and boil for 15 minutes.

4. Add the chopped tomatoes and the beans. Bring to the boil.

5. Finely chop the cavalo nero and add to the soup for 3 minutes before serving with crusty bread.

Storecupboard Essential: Couscous

Having a box of these durum wheat granules in your press can make a meal out of a few spare vegetables. It’s a staple food throughout North Africa and has been happily adopted as a spud substitute here at home.

This recipe first appeared in The Irish Independent on October 15^th