January is typically a month, we associate with a fresh start. It is the middle of winter, there is not much colour, but there are plenty of seasonal vegetables, especially winter greens. Being a veg-centric or plant-forward advocate, I created this recipe with seasonal vegetables on the foreground, with this fresh, alkalising, yet warming soup. The dumplings are not essential, but they add another texture, interest and make the soup more filling.  

Time: 30-40 minutes
Serves: 4-6

You’ll need:

For the Minestrone Soup:

2.5l vegetable stock or home-made broth

Half a head celeriac (about 200 grams), peeled and diced into small cubes 

4 tbsp olive oil, 2 for the soup and 2 for the dumplings

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1/2 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Half a fennel bulb, diced

1 x 400g tinned cannellini beans, including the liquid

200g Brussels sprouts, washed and sliced

1 medium leek, sliced

120g cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) deveined and roughly chopped 

120g savoy cabbage, deveined and roughly chopped

1 heaped tbsp white miso paste

3 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce

For the Polenta Dumplings:

250ml plant milk

50g polenta (instant)

1 tbsp chickpea flour or soy flour

2 tbsp marjoram or oregano, finely chopped

Alternatively, you could serve the soup with small pasta shapes. 

Method:

1. In a large cast iron (dutch oven or heavy bottomed stock pot with lid), heat 2 tbsp of olive oil and add the celeriac, leek, Brussels sprouts, fennel, garlic and herbs. Sauté over low to medium heat until lightly coloured, around 6 to 8 minutes, adding a little of the stock or broth to prevent from burning.

2. Pour the hot stock or broth over the sautéed vegetables, bring to the boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Now add the cannellini beans, white miso and Tamari, season with salt and black pepper to taste and stir.

3. Add the Cavolo Nero and savoy cabbage to the pot, put the lid on and simmer on low for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are cooked through, but still have a bite to them.
Stir the greens through and check for seasoning.

4. To make the dumplings, heat the plant milk and 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat. Once it has come to a gentle simmer, add the polenta and chickpea flour while whisking vigourously. Continue whisking while cooking the polenta for 1-2 minutes (until it has thickened). Take off the heat, stir in the the chopped marjoram or oregano, season with salt and pepper and cover. Set aside and let cool for 2 minutes.

5. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 litres of water to a gentle simmer. While the water is coming to a boil, using 2 teaspoons dipped in cold water, form little dumplings out of the polenta and then drop them gently into the simmering water. When the dumplings rise to the top, turn off the heat and let them sit in the water for 2 more minutes. Take them out with a slotted spoon and serve immediately with the soup.