Christmas Eve Green Soup: the Gargano tradition in a vegetable soup

Minestra Verde (Green Soup) is a dish that embodies the spirit of winter and the holidays, a preparation that each family interprets in its own way but always retains the same essence: celebrating the bounty of the earth through seasonal vegetables. Our version represents the foundation of a traditional recipe that many families prepare for Christmas Eve, a dish that combines simplicity and substance.

The heart of this soup lies in the patiently prepared vegetable broth, where onion, carrots, potatoes, celery, and parsley slowly release their flavors into a golden, fragrant liquid. This broth becomes the canvas on which to paint with winter vegetables: cauliflower, fennel, cabbage, escarole, and chard come together in a harmony of green colors that give the dish its name.

Every family has its own interpretation of minestra verde: some enrich the broth with meat to make it heartier, some add layers of cod and tomato for special holidays, while others prefer to keep it completely vegetarian, as in our version. This versatility makes it a living recipe, adapting to the tastes and needs of every table.

Our Ogliarola Garganica olive oil, with its delicate and balanced profile, is the ingredient that completes the dish when served. A generous drizzle of raw oil adds freshness and aroma, enhancing the natural flavor of the vegetables without overpowering them, while roasted bread cubes provide a pleasant crunch that contrasts with the soup's softness.

This soup is the perfect comfort food for winter evenings, when the cold knocks at the door and you seek refuge in a steaming bowl. Whether prepared for Christmas Eve according to tradition or for a simple weeknight dinner, minestra verde brings with it the warmth of home cooking and the authentic taste of the season.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4 people

INGREDIENTS


For the broth:
1 onion
2 carrots
1 potato
2 celery stalks
1 bunch of parsley
2 liters of water
salt

For the soup:
300 g cauliflower
200 g fennel
180 g cabbage
120 g escarole (cleaned weight)
120 g chard (cleaned weight)
salt
Olio 40 raccolti Oleificio Fratelli Vieste - Ogliarola Garganica

PREPARATION:

1- Start by preparing the broth: clean the onion, carrots, and potato; wash the celery stalks and parsley. Gather everything in a large pot, cover with cold water, and place on the heat. Once the liquid boils, skim off any foam, reduce the heat, cover, allowing some air to escape, and simmer for 2 hours. At the end of cooking, season with salt, then strain and filter the broth.

2- When the broth is almost ready, chop all the vegetables: divide the cauliflower into florets, slice the fennel and cabbage, remove the end of the escarole and chard, and cut them into coarse pieces. Boil the vegetables in a pot with plenty of salted water for 15-20 minutes.

3 -When the vegetables are ready, drain them and add them to the vegetable broth, cooking for a few more minutes to let the flavors meld.

4 - Let it rest for a few minutes, then serve with a drizzle of raw olive oil and roasted bread cubes.