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Karalahana çorbası
Collard greens and bean soup
Karalahana çorbası: Trabzon's collard greens soup with beans and cornmeal
Dark, ribbed karalahana is the cabbage of the eastern Black Sea, and in Trabzon and Rize winter kitchens it goes into a thick soup that is somewhere between a broth and a stew. Shredded leaves simmer with borlotti beans, onion and a spoon of pepper paste, then a handful of cornmeal is whisked in at the end to give the soup body and a gentle sweetness. It is served with cornbread, a wedge of onion and a few chilli pickles. Common mistake: leaving the tough central ribs in; they never soften and make the soup stringy. Chef's tip: the soup is noticeably better the next day, so make it ahead and loosen it with a little hot water when you reheat.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb collard greens or cavolo nerocentral ribs cut out, leaves finely shredded
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garlicchopped
- 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste
- 14 oz cooked borlotti beansdrained (1 tin)
- 6 ¼ cups hot water or vegetable stock
- 3 tbsp coarse cornmeal
- 1 tsp salt
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Wash 1 ⅛ lb collard greens or cavolo nero well, then blanch in a large pan of boiling water for 3 minutes to take the bitterness out. Drain.
5 minStep 3: Add 2 cloves garlic, 1 tbsp Turkish red pepper paste and 1 tsp Turkish chilli flakes (pul biber) and stir for 1 minute, until the paste darkens and smells sweet.
1 minStep 4: Add the greens, 14 oz cooked borlotti beans, 6 ¼ cups hot water or vegetable stock and 1 tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes, until the leaves are soft and silky.
30 minStep 5: Sprinkle in 3 tbsp coarse cornmeal a spoonful at a time, whisking so it doesn't clump. Simmer 8–10 minutes more, stirring often, until the soup thickens and no longer tastes gritty.
10 minStep 6: Taste for salt and serve hot with cornbread.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 170 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 7 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does karalahana çorbası take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 45 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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