Today, together with our Cesarina Juanita from Bari, we’re excited to share an easy and quick recipe made with simple, wholesome ingredients that brings a healthy yet flavorful dish to your table: chicory soup.
A true comfort food, especially perfect for the colder months: its warmth is a soothing treat for both the heart and the palate.
Chicory soup
Simple ingredients and authentic flavor for a nourishing dish from the Apulian tradition
DifficultyEasy
Cooking time15m
Servings4
€
CostLow
Ingredients
- Chicory 1 kg
- Garlic 1 clove
- Onion to taste
- Chili pepper to taste
- Olive oil to taste
- Cherry tomatoes 5
- Pecorino cheese 1 tablespoon
- Parmigiano cheese 1 tablespoon
- Parsley to taste
- Salt to taste
Method
- Carefully trim the chicory, removing any damaged, overly tough, or fibrous outer leaves. Keep only the leaves that show no yellowing or dark spots.
- Place the chicory in a large bowl filled with plenty of cold water.
- Gently rinse the leaves with your hands, drain them, and place them again in a bowl with clean water. Repeat this process until the chicory is perfectly clean. Change the water frequently between rinses and do not soak the chicory for too long, as it may lose some of its characteristic slightly bitter flavor.
- In a heavy-bottomed pot (preferably earthenware), combine the olive oil, finely chopped onion and garlic, quartered tomatoes (you can substitute with peeled tomatoes, removing the seeds), and chili pepper, then lightly sauté.
- Drain the chicory and transfer it to the pot. Add the parsley, the cheese mixture, and salt.
- Cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
- Serve, finishing with an extra sprinkle of grated cheese.
- This dish can be served with grilled bread, optionally rubbed with garlic.