Tuscan Tomato, Bean and Cabbage Soup

Since the company’s beginnings in 1921 Ardmona has been selecting Australian produce for its entire range. The brand will continue to choose only locally grown produce, mainly from Victoria and New South Wales.

To celebrate the iconic Ardmona’s 90th birthday Karen Martini has created some terrific tomato treats using Ardmona products as the basis of her recipes.

Winter is a perfect time for lots of warm and satisfying soups, here’s one Karen Martini created in conjunction with Ardmona that sounds tantalising – Tuscan Tomato, Bean and Cabbage Soup.

Serves 6

Prep time: 15 – 20 minutes
Cook time:  60 minutes

Here’s what you will need:

• 3 potatoes, yellow, waxy, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil plus extra
• 2 brown onions, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, finely sliced
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 tbs Ardmona® tomato paste
• 1 tbs fennel seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 sprigs of thyme
• 1 x 400gms can Ardmona® crushed tomatoes
• 1 litre water
• 1 chicken stock cube
• 500gms cabbage, sliced into chunks
• 250gms zucchini, finely diced
• 250gms of radicchio, coarsely chopped
• 1 x 400g can cannellini beans, drained and crushed
• Salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tsp sugar
• stale crusty bread for bruschetta
• pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved

Method:

Partially boil potatoes in a saucepan of water for 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a large pot, cook oil, onions, garlic, celery and carrot over low heat for 15 minutes until golden. Stir in tomato paste, fennel seeds, bay leaves and thyme.

Cook a further 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, water, stock cube, cabbage, zucchini, radicchio, potato and cannellini beans.  Simmer for 25 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar.  Finish with freshly shaved parmesan.

Serve with thickly sliced bread, toasted and rubbed with a raw garlic clove and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.