This Tuscan Soup with Eggs and Parmesan Is Pure Comfort in a Bowl

“This rustic tuscan stock Pantry creates magic from basics,” explains Telly Eat Author and Irish presenter Donal Skehan. “Put an egg on top and suddenly it becomes brunch-worthy.”

tuscan aquacotta soup

serves:4

Material,

1 onion

1 carrot

2 celery sticks

4 garlic cloves

olive oil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

a pinch of chilli pieces

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 bay leaves

1 x 400g chopped tin Tomato

100g Parmesan, plus rind

1 liter good quality vegetable stock

sea ​​salt and freshly ground black pepper

300g cavolo nero or any other green leafy cabbage, such as York cabbage or sweetheart cabbage

½ a sourdough baguette

1 x 400g tin of borlotti beans

1 x 400g tin of chickpeas

4 eggs

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley

extra virgin olive oil

Method,

1. First of all, finely chop the onion, carrot and celery, then finely chop three cloves of garlic.

2. Take a large casserole pot over medium heat and drizzle olive oil into it. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook for five to six minutes, until softened, then add the garlic, fennel seeds, chilli pieces, rosemary sprigs and bay leaves and cook for a further three minutes.

3. Add the chopped tomatoes, Parmesan rind and stock. Add salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low.

4. Roughly chop the cavolo nero, then add the Parmesan mixture to a mini blender and blitz until thickened.

5. Cut the baguette into thick pieces and drizzle with olive oil. Place a pan over medium heat and add the baguette pieces. Toast for a few minutes on each side, until charred. Remove from the pan, cut the remaining garlic cloves in half, rub them and keep aside.

6. Drain the beans and chickpeas, add to the soup along with the chopped cavolo nero, then let everything heat through for a few minutes.

7. Now crack the eggs into the soup, pushing them in so they are slightly submerged. Place the lid on the pot and cook for three to four minutes, or more if you want your eggs to be hard.

8. To serve, place a slice of toasted baguette in the bottom of four warm soup bowls, then spoon an egg onto each piece of bread. Ladle over the soup, discarding the Parmesan rind, rosemary sprig and bay leaf.

9. Roughly chop the flat-leaf parsley and sprinkle the Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil and some ground black pepper over the soup.

Donal’s real time Recipes‘ by Donal Skehan (The Yellow Kite, £25).