GF Broccoli Zuppa with Prosciutto and Parmesan Crisps

Silvia Colloca's gluten-free zuppa. Broccoli, potato and brown onion simmered down with stock and good olive oil, then blitzed smooth until the colour turns deep green. Crisped prosciutto and lacy parmesan wafers go on top for crunch and salt. A gluten-free Italian zuppa with weight.

The potato is the structural ingredient that gives the soup its body without needing flour or cream. Cooked to soft and blitzed with the broccoli, the potato starch thickens the soup into a velvety puree that holds together on the spoon; the dish stays gluten-free and dairy-free (until the parmesan wafer hits the bowl) without losing the textural pleasure of a proper zuppa.

The blanching-first technique for the broccoli is the small chef move that preserves the colour. Broccoli that simmers directly in the soup turns dull olive-green (the chlorophyll degrades under prolonged heat); broccoli that's blanched briefly first in salted boiling water and then added to the cooked potato base for a final blitz holds its bright kelly-green colour through to the table.

The parmesan crisps (frico) are the Italian textural foil. Mounds of grated parmesan baked on parchment at 200 degrees for six or seven minutes until they melt, bubble and set into golden discs. Crisped prosciutto adds salt and a deep meaty note; the slices laid flat on a parchment-lined tray and baked at 180 until brittle. Drizzle good olive oil over the soup, scatter parmesan crisps and prosciutto shards. Serve hot, with a chilled glass of Vermentino.