Recipe - Livornese Vegetable Soup

325 g Spinach; (11oz)
325 g Swiss chard; (optional)
(11oz)
1 Onion
1 Thick or 2 thin slices of
prosciutto; (Parma ham),
chopped
; crudo, finely
1 Streaky bacon or pancetta
rashers; derinded and (1
to
2)
; chopped finely
3 Garlic cloves; chopped
A handful of fresh parsley;
chopped finely
3 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Carrots; minced
2 Celery sticks; minced
2 Courgettes; minced
125 g Peeled pumpkin; minced (4oz)
2 Large; ripe tomatoes,
; skinned, deseeded
; and chopped
250 g Pork belly or streaky pork
rashers; minced finely (8oz)
1 432 gram can borlotti beans;
drained (15oz)
300 g Longgrain rice; (10oz)
Salt and pepper
Freshly grated parmesan
cheese; to serve
1 Pig''s trotter or 2 Italian
sausages; (optional)

If using the pig''s trotter or sausages, put them in a large saucepan and
cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently
until required.

Meanwhile, blanch the cabbage, spinach and chard, if using, in boiling
water for about 3 minutes. Drain, reserving the water, cool them slightly,
then chop coarsely.

Chop half the onion finely and mix with the prosciutto, bacon or pancetta,
garlic, parsley and oil to make a smooth paste. Place in a very large, deep
saucepan or flameproof casserole and fry gently for 34 minutes.

Combine the reserved vegetable cooking water with the pig''s trotter or
sausage stock, if used, and make up to 2.75 litres (5 pints) with boiling
water. Finely slice the remaining half onion. Add each vegetable in turn to
the pan, alternately with the stock, until all the vegetables, except the
beans, and the stock have been added. Add the pork belly, stir carefully
and cook for 20 minutes.

If used, remove all the scraps of meat from the trotter, or remove the skin
from the sausages and crumble them. Add the meat to the soup with the beans
and simmer for a further 20 minutes. Add the rice and season with salt and
pepper. Simmer slowly for a further 20 minutes, stirring frequently to
prevent the soup sticking to the bottom of the pan. Serve the soup hot or
leave to cool to room temperature before serving. Serve with plenty of
freshly grated parmesan cheese.

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