Vegetable soup with herb omelet

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 m.-large endive salad
• 1 bunch mixed herbs (soup herbs)
• 250 g mixed vegetables of your choice (see note)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch(s) nutmeg, freshly grated
• 3 tbsp Parmesan, grated
• 3 eggs, size M
• n. B. Salt and pepper, black, freshly ground
• 3 small onions, red
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 liter of water
• 20 g chicken stock powder
• some Marsala
• n. B. Pepper, red, long, mild, for garnishing

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 35 minutes

This “Zuppa alla genovese” is one of the “Prima piatti” and comes from Liguria, Italy.

Wash and trim the endive well, then blanch in plenty of boiling water for 1 minute. Remove the endive head from the water using a sieve and rinse with ice-cold water. Reserve the blanching water for the vegetables. Drain the cold water well. Then squeeze the lettuce well and cut it crosswise into fine strips. Wash, trim, and finely chop the fresh soup herbs. Trim both ends of the onions, peel, and finely chop them as well. Wash and trim the fresh mixed vegetables, cut them into bite-sized pieces, and blanch for 4-6 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large pan, add the finely chopped herbs and onions, and sauté. Add 3/4 of the endive strips, mix well, and simmer gently with the lid on for 6 minutes. Season to taste with salt, lemon juice, a pinch of nutmeg, and freshly ground black pepper. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add a pinch of salt, freshly ground black pepper, and the Parmesan cheese. Gently stir the egg mixture into the vegetables in the pan and set over moderate heat. Allow to cool and remove from the pan. Cut the omelet into strips approximately 8 mm wide. Heat one liter of water for the stock, add the chicken stock powder and dissolve it. Add the omelet strips to the stock along with the remaining endive leaves, the blanched vegetables, and the Marsala and bring to a boil. Divide among the serving plates, serve warm, and enjoy. Note: In this case, we used a small cauliflower, a small broccoli, and a small bell pepper. The broccoli leaves provide the vibrant green color. Any other vegetables can be used, depending on the season.