Ribollita, a Traditional Tuscan Bread Soup

If using dried beans, place dried Cannellini beans in medium pot with enough water to cover beans generously. Allow to soak at least 8 hours. Drain, place back into medium soup pot filled partially with water, add beans and bring to boil. Add 1 generous tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil and a few sage leaves. Allow to cook for at least 1 hour or until well-softened. 

A note on beans:  you can skip the long overnight soak and cooking time if you use tinned Cannellini beans.  Simply substitute 400 grams of tinned beans to replace the 200 grams of dried beans.  

Using either a yellow or white onion, peel and thinly slice.  Set aside.  Peel and finely dice carrot, set aside.  Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside.  Finely mince celery, set aside.

Remove stems from kale, and julienne.  Set aside. Julienne Swiss chard, and set aside.

Peel and cube potatoes, then set aside. 

Coat bottom of medium sauce pot with olive oil and add sliced onion, minced garlic, diced carrot, celery, and fresh rosemary. Allow to cook 2 minutes.  Once vegetables begin to turn light golden brown, add kale, chard and diced potatoes to pan. Allow vegetables to blend and cook together for a few minutes, then add tomato pulp.  Adjust vegetables to taste with salt, and allow flavors to blend well.

A note on herbs:  we recommend using fresh herbs, but if not available, they can be substituted with dried versions (rosemary or sage).  

Add Cannellini beans to pot with vegetables along with almost all of bean's cooking liquid. Allow the soup to cook for at least 1 hour.

We recommend using dried, stale rustic-style country bread.  Before adding to soup, break up bread into chunks or into pieces as small as you can get them.

Once cooked, add Tuscan bread to soup.

Let mixture rest for at least 30 minutes. Reheat soup if necessary, and serve with generous drizzle of olive oil and Parmesan cheese.