Tour of Italy in 20 ricette
Gluten-free Seupa alla Valpellinentza
With this first interview and recipe, my Tour of Italy in 20 Recipes officially begins—a project that, over the coming months, will take me on a journey across Italy from north to south, one region at a time, collecting stories, memories, and comfort dishes from people who, after being diagnosed with celiac disease, were forced—at least for a while—to give up flavors deeply connected to their personal history.
The first stop could only be Valle d’Aosta, a land of hearty, mountain-inspired, convivial cuisine. Guiding me on this opening stage were Michela and Mirella, who shared with me their Seupa alla Valpellinentza, a soup that is emblematic of the region—rich, deeply flavorful, and full of memories.
One of the key ingredients of this traditional recipe is rustic bread, a central element that is often difficult to replicate in a gluten-free version that truly lives up to the original. To honor the spirit of the dish, I chose to use my own recipe for Crunchy Wholemeal Gluten-Free Bread, which proved to be perfect in terms of structure, flavour, and its ability to absorb liquids, giving this soup an irresistible texture and depth of taste.
The result is a gluten-free Seupa alla Valpellinentza that preserves the soul of the traditional recipe and finally makes it possible to rediscover this great classic of Valdostan cuisine in a safe, gluten-free version.
This is just the beginning of the journey!
The next stop will be Piedmont: a new region, a new story, and a new recipe to bring back to the table in a gluten-free version.
Stay tuned to find out which recipe will be next.
Gluten-free Seupa alla Valpellinentza
9g carbohydrates per 100g
Ingredients
- 200g stale Crunchy Wholemeal Gluten-Free Bread**
- 250g Fontina cheese
- 200g Savoy cabbage
- 1 litre meat stock*
- 20g butter
- extra virgin olive oil for greasing the baking dish
- cinnamon (optional)
- salt and pepper
**Ingredients specific for celiacs
*Ingredients whose labels must read “gluten-free” (or, in Italy, present on Prontuario AIC)
Preparation
- Clean the Savoy cabbage and cut it into strips about 1 cm wide. Boil it in the meat broth until tender, then drain it, keeping both the cabbage and the broth aside.
- Cut the Fontina cheese into slices or chunks, removing the rind.
- Lightly grease a baking dish with olive oil and arrange a first layer of bread. Top with pieces of Fontina and the cooked cabbage, then add a ladle of broth before starting the next layer. I made two layers of bread.
- Finish with a final layer of bread topped with cabbage, Fontina, melted butter, and a light dusting of cinnamon. Add two or three generous ladles of broth, allowing the bread to absorb the liquid.
- Bake in a fan-assisted oven preheated to 180°C (356°F) for about 20 minutes. Once ready, let the soup rest in the switched-off oven for about 10 minutes before serving.
