Black cabbage cornmeal soup

Wash the black cabbage thoroughly, remove the tough central stems, and roughly chop the leaves.

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, add the diced pancetta and cook over medium heat until crispy and its fat has rendered. Remove the crispy pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Add the extra-virgin olive oil to the pot with the pancetta fat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery (the soffritto base) and sauté over medium-low heat for about 8-10 minutes until softened and translucent, being careful not to brown them.