Zuppa di Verza alla Valdostana

The Alpine valley of Aosta is just this side of the Alps of the French region of Savoie; and the cultural kinship of the two is apparent, not only in the language and in the many place names but in the most vital of all manifestations of cultures—cooking, as for example, in this superb soup that seems so much a dainty version of soupe à l’oignon.

The only time-consuming procedure in this recipe—the long, slow cooking of the cabbage until it is reduced to creamy softness—can b