Zuppa alla Canavesana

Name: Zuppa alla Canavesana
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Piemontese
Ingredients: 600 g savoy cabbage; 300 g stale country bread; 250 g toma piemontese; 40 g Butter; 1000 ml Beef broth; 50 g grana padano; 0.5 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper; 1 pinch Nutmeg

A comforting baked dish from Piedmont's Canavese area, layering stale rustic bread, sweet Savoy cabbage, rich broth, and melted Toma cheese.

🇮🇹Italy· Piedmont

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 60 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 480 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

600 g savoy cabbage — cored and finely shredded
300 g stale country bread — cut into 1.5 cm thick slices
250 g toma piemontese — rind trimmed, thinly sliced
40 g Butter — unsalted
1000 ml Beef broth — hot and well-seasoned
50 g grana padano — finely grated
½ tsp Fine sea salt — to taste
¼ tsp Black pepper — freshly ground
1 pinch Nutmeg — freshly grated

Equipment

•Earthenware casserole or deep baking dish
•Large frying pan
•Ladle
•Chef's knife
•Cutting board

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 480 kcal
fat: 22 g
carbs: 46 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 24 g
calories: 480 kcal

Instructions

1
Heat the oven to 190 degrees C (170 degrees C fan).
2
Melt half the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
3
Add the shredded cabbage and salt, cooking for 10 minutes until wilted and tender.
4
Grease a deep earthenware dish with the remaining butter.
5
Arrange a single layer of stale bread slices across the bottom of the dish.
6
Scatter half the wilted cabbage evenly over the bread.
7
Layer half the sliced toma and half the grated grana padano over the cabbage.
8
Repeat with the remaining bread, cabbage, toma, and grana padano.
9
Pour the hot beef broth gently over the layers until fully soaked.
10
Season the top with a pinch of black pepper and nutmeg.
11
Bake for 30 minutes until the top is bubbling and deep golden brown.
12
Rest for 5 minutes before serving into warm shallow bowls.

Chef's tips

Use dense, crusty sourdough or rustic country bread that holds its shape when soaked. Ensure the broth is steaming hot before pouring it over the bread so the baking process begins immediately.

Ingredient substitutions

toma piemontese → Fontina PDO, mild mountain Gouda, or young Gruyère
beef broth → rich poultry stock or robust vegetable broth
grana padano → Parmigiano Reggiano

Storage

Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Reheating

Reheat in an oven at 180 degrees C with an extra splash of hot broth until bubbling.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Using soft, fresh sandwich bread, which disintegrates into an unappealing mush.
•Pouring cold broth over the dish, resulting in uneven baking and soggy layers.
•Omitting the resting time, which makes the soup too scalding and difficult to portion cleanly.

Serving suggestions

Serve directly from the baking dish into wide earthenware bowls.Pair with a local Canavese red wine such as Carema or Erbaluce di Caluso.Follow with a bitter winter chicory salad dressed in red wine vinegar.