I am in a green phase, and drawn like a moth to sea-green velvet cushions and dresses, while the tear sheets for my new kitchen are an almost-black green. I’m sure this is all inspired by the minerally winter greens of the season, which are ever-present in my cooking right now. The majestic cavolo nero – an intense black-blue green that’s hard to match – is most beautiful when wet, with tiny droplets of water running down its dusty leaves. Or the pleasingly curly kale with its forest-green frills (or, if you’re lucky, deep burgundy-purple ones). The verdant freshness of these greens has me using them daily at this time of year: here are two of my favourites.
Ribollita (main picture)
My version of the classic Italian soup with kale, white beans, tomatoes, bread and lots of good oil. It takes a while to make because it has a few stages, but the end result is so rich and layered in flavour that it’s worth taking the time. I use the rind of a piece of parmesan to add depth; the ribollita will still be wonderful without but, if you have any, it’s a way to use up something that would otherwise be wasted.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 6
Olive oil for cooking
2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
6 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped, yellow leaves reserved
1 small bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 × 400g tin plum tomatoes
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
Parmesan rind (I use a vegetarian one), optional
1 × 400g tin white beans, liquid reserved
3 big handfuls cavolo nero or kale (about 400g), leaves stripped off stalks and roughly chopped
2 litres vegetable stock
4 slices good-quality bread (best if it’s a little stale)
Extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions, garlic, carrot and celery over a medium heat for about 30 minutes, until soft, sweet and slightly caramelised. Add most of the parsley and cook for a few minutes more.
Add the tomatoes, potato and parmesan rind, if using, squashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, by which time the tomato liquid should be almost completely absorbed and the veg should look quite dry. Add the beans, tin juices and all, cavolo nero and the stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and leave to cook for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat and lay the slices of bread on top of the soup, like a lid. Generously drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so.
Stir to combine everything – the soup should be thick, almost stewy and deeply delicious – season with salt, pepper, more parsley, the yellow celery leaves and more extra-virgin olive oil. Ladle into bowls and serve.
The soup will thicken as it cools, so if you have leftovers, add more hot stock or water and reheat gently.
Pasta with kale pesto and crispy garlic greens
Two textures from one favourite winter green in this speedy weeknight pasta: a bright-green kale sauce and a kale and garlic crunch. The sauce comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta. This is my go-to sort of cooking: quick to bring together, but interesting and complex to eat.
Prep 10 min
Cooking 20 min
Serves 4
800g kale (or cavolo nero), leaves stripped off the stalks and torn into bite-size pieces
Salt and black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 pinch dried chilli flakes, or to taste
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
400g dried pasta – I use rigatoni
100g parmesan (I use a vegetarian one), grated
Put a third of the kale in a bowl, add a little salt and olive oil, and scrunch it all up with your fingers. Add the dried chilli and a good grind of black pepper, then leave it to sit.
Fill a large pan with very well salted water – it should be salty like the sea – and bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, put four tablespoons of oil and the garlic in a small frying pan. Put on a medium heat, cook until the edges of the garlic begin to sizzle and turn light golden, then take the pan off the heat.
Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook for a minute less than the packet instructions.
While the pasta is cooking, put the fried garlic in a food processor with the remaining unseasoned kale, 60ml extra-virgin olive oil, a good pinch each of salt and pepper, and a little splash of the pasta cooking water, then blitz to a smooth, bright-green paste.
Put the frying pan back on the heat and add a glug of oil. Once it’s really hot, add the scrunched kale and fry, stirring, until it’s crisp and a little crunchy.
When the pasta is ready, drain it, reserving a mugful of the cooking water, then return the pasta to the pot and stir in the kale sauce and parmesan. Add the reserved pasta water little by little and toss until you have a smooth, silky sauce coating all the pasta.
Serve with the crisp kale scattered on top and lots of grated parmesan.
Photography: Emma Lee for the Guardian. Food and prop styling: Anna Jones. Food assistant: Anna Shepherd.
