Canada Winter Vegetable & Meatball Stew

Serves 4

Preparation 15 mins

Cooking 40 mins

Skill Level: EASY

Ingredients

6 good quality sausages

1 tsp fennel seeds, roughly ground

4 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely sliced

2 small leeks, sliced

3 sticks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

½ a celeriac, peeled and diced

1 ltr fresh chicken stock

200g cavolo nero, torn

80g orzo pasta

Good knob unsalted butter

100g fresh breadcrumbs

25g parmesan cheese, grated

400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Method

1. Squeeze the sausage meat from the cases into a bowl. Add the fennel seeds and squeeze to mix together then shape into 16 small balls.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan over a medium high heat and brown the meatballs all over then set aside.
3. In a large saucepan heat 1 tbsp oil and gently fry the onion, leek and celery for 5 minutes. Add garlic and celeriac and fry for a few minutes more then add 800ml/ 27 fl oz of the stock. Simmer for 15 minutes then add the cavolo nero, orzo and meatballs and remaining stock to the soup. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan with the butter and fry the breadcrumb gently for 5-10 minutes until golden. Spread on a plate to cool then mix with the parmesan.
5. Add the cannellini beans to the soup and cook for a minute or two more than serve with a scattering of the cheesy crumbs.