Recipes

Winter Squash Soup with Barley and Cavolo Nero

A vividly colored soup for cold weather that joins three elements: sweet, orange winter squash, pearl barley and an assertive green. Cavolo nero, also known as dino kale or black kale, has dark leaves that never lose their crinkly texture, even when cooked. Cavolo nero sweetens once the frost hits, but it retains its deeply mineral, green flavor. If you like, choose rapini instead for a more bitter contrast to the smooth, rich squash.

• 2 ½ lbs. butternut, sweet meat or any other smooth fleshed winter squash
• ½ cup pearl barley
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch cavolo nero or rapini, approximately 1 lb.
• 4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. chile flakes, or to taste
• ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and strings. Lay squash cut side down in a baking dish. Pour in water to come up ¼ inch and bake uncovered until the squash is thoroughly soft, about 1 ½ hours. Replenish water as needed.
3. Meanwhile, put barley in a pot with 2 cups water and ¼ tsp. salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer and cook until the barley becomes tender. Drain, reserving cooking water.
4. Strip cavolo nero leaves from the stems and coarsely chop. Boil cavolo nero in a large pot of salted water until tender but toothsome, 3-5 minutes. Scoop out greens, reserving the cooking water, and shock them in ice water. Drain and squeeze out excess water.
5. Put olive oil, garlic and chile flakes in a soup pot and turn the heat to medium. Sauté until garlic is light gold. Add cavolo nero and sauté, stirring, for 5 minutes. The cavolo nero should become completely tender.
6. Scoop squash from its shell and add. Mash squash into the greens and cook for 3 minutes. Add all of the reserved barley cooking water and 2 cups of the water from boiling the cavolo nero. Add barley. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add more liquid as necessary, either water or additional cavolo nero cooking water. Serve hot with black pepper and parmesan cheese.

Note: If using rapini, trim away tough stems. Also, if rapini is mature, you may need to boil it longer.

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