Lombard Chicken and Cabbage Soup — Minestra di Pollo e Cavolo Verza
A Lombard winter soup of chicken poached with savoy cabbage, leeks, carrot, and pearl barley in a clear broth, finished with grated Parmigiano and a drizzle of olive oil — a clean, comforting Alpine bowl.
Italian
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Pat chicken thighs dry, season with 0.5 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp pepper. Slice leeks into 5mm rounds. Dice carrots and celery. Smash garlic cloves. Remove cabbage cores, cut leaves into 2cm strips. Grate 20g Parmigiano, chop parsley. Warm stock.
Sear
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken skin-side down, cook 4–5 minutes until golden. Flip, brown 2–3 minutes more. Lift out and set aside.
Saute
Reduce heat to medium. Add leeks, carrots, and celery, cook 6–7 minutes until softened. Add smashed garlic, cook 60 seconds. Add pearl barley, stir 1 minute to toast lightly.
Simmer 1
Pour warm stock into pot. Add thyme sprigs, bay leaves, and 0.5 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer. Return chicken thighs, submerging in broth. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, simmer 25 minutes until chicken is tender.
Simmer 2
Add cabbage strips, pushing down to submerge. Continue cooking 15 minutes over low heat until cabbage is tender, barley is plump, and chicken is falling off the bone.
Finish
Lift chicken thighs out, discard skin and bone. Shred meat with two forks, return to soup. Discard thyme stems and bay leaves. Stir in 20g grated Parmigiano. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Plate
Ladle soup into warm wide bowls. Drizzle each with 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil. Top with remaining 10g Parmigiano, chopped parsley, and a pinch of black pepper. Serve immediately.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.