Quick Ribollita Soup

A short cut version of this Italian favorite

ingredients

¼ cup olive oil

1 cup small diced yellow onions

1 cup small diced celery

1 cup small diced carrots

1 cup small diced fennel

2 Tbsp chopped garlic

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed

¾ pound Yukon gold or russet potatoes cut into ½-inch pieces, held in cold water to prevent browning

2 rosemary sprigs

1 parmigiano or pecorino cheese rind

2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 tsp ground black pepper

¾ pound chopped lacinato kale leaves stems removed (about 12 cups)

2 cups cooked cannellini beans (about 12 ounces dried beans, if using)

8-10 thick slices day-old Italian or French bread (about ¾ to 1 pound

Heat oil in a 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, fennel, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for about six minutes, or until vegetables have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.
2. Add 2 cups broth and stir to deglaze, loosening and scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pot. Then, add remaining broth, tomatoes, bean cooking liquid, potatoes (drain first if being held in water), rosemary sprigs, cheese rind, salt and black pepper and stir until all ingredients are well-combined.
3. Cover pot, increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Then, immediately reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in kale and continue to cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 more minutes. The soup should be rather thick; add more broth if needed. Stir in beans about 5 minutes before the soup is done. Slice the bread slices into cubes, then fold bread cubes into the soup about 5 minutes after the addition of the beans. Continue to simmer the soup for about 5 to 10 more minutes while stirring. The bread will break apart and further thicken the soup. Remove the rosemary and cheese rind. Then, ladle the soup into bowls, topping each portion with a generous drizzle of high-quality, extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of either parmigiano or pecorino cheese