Pic of Zuppa d'aosta (Italian cabbage soup)

Zuppa d'aosta (Italian cabbage soup)

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Meat mains

Zuppa d'aosta (Italian cabbage soup)

Serves 4 1h 15 min
From Val d'Aosta in Northern Italy, this is a characterful, whole-meal type soup made from bread, Savoy cabbage and smoky bacon baked in layers in a casserole. Use strong bread such as sourdough or even rye – the staler the better. Traditionally this is made with Fontina cheese – use it if you can, but Gruyère is a lot easier to find.

Ingredients

  • 6 large slices stale sourdough bread from a large round loaf, cut in half (or similar), lightly toasted
  • 1 Savoy cabbage, tough outer leaves removed, stalks cut out in a V-shape, leaves shredded
  • 250g Fontina or Gruyère cheese, grated
  • 200g smoked streaky bacon, fried until browned
  • 1.4 litres beef stock
  • 50g butter
  • salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 15 min
Cooking time: 1h

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 160°C/Gas 3.

  • Step 2

    In a heavy casserole dish, layer the bread, cabbage, 200g cheese and the bacon in at least 2 layers, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper (go easy on the salt, as the cheese is salty), and finishing with a layer of bread.

  • Step 3

    Pour over the stock. Sprinkle over the rest of the cheese. Dot with the butter.

  • Step 4

    Bake for about 45-60 minutes, depending on your oven, until golden brown (finish under the grill if you need to).