Italian vegetable soup – minestra maritata

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 100 g smoked bacon, streaky
• 160 g Pecorino, grated, alternatively mountain cheese
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small fennel bulb(s), approx. 200 g
• 1 chicory
• 1 stalk(s) Celery
• 2 stalk(s) leeks
• 1 small white cabbage, approx. 200 g
• 1 ½ liters of water
• 32 g chicken stock powder
• 4 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 1 m.-large tomato(s), fully ripe
• 30 g mountain cheese, grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 35 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

An unusual soup that can also be cooked as a stew. Recipe from Apulia, Italy.

Clean and wash the vegetables. Cut the fennel bulb crosswise into thin slices, using only the white part. Slice all the ingredients, from chicory to leek. Remove the midrib from the white cabbage leaves and cut them crosswise into strips. Heat the water, dissolve the chicken stock in it, and cook each vegetable for two minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and do not rinse. Cut the bacon into cubes or fine strips and fry in a pan with the olive oil. Press the garlic cloves through a press and mix in. Fry briefly. As soon as the garlic begins to brown, immediately remove the mixture from the pan and set aside. Arrange the vegetables in layers in a baking dish. Finish each layer with a little of the Pecorino, the bacon cubes, and the garlic oil, along with a generous grind of freshly ground black pepper. Pour the meat stock over the vegetable mixture and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place in the oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) and cook for 40 minutes. Optionally, garnish with a few slices of tomatoes and cheese on top.