Big Joe’s Award Winning Ribollita Soup

By jtoro_318

Ingredients

• 6 cups cannellini beans (washed & drained)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups diced zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced pancetta (about a 1/4 lb)
• 3 Tb minced garlic
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage (washed & cut into 1 inch chunks)
• 2 cups crushed Italian tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 cups spinach leaves
• 10 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups cubed day old bread (the crustier the better)
• 2 lb piece of parmigiano rind or 1 cup grated romano
• Drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• Red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper

Details

Adapted from nj1015.com

Preparation

Step 1

Over medium flame, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add all the hard vegetables, garlic and pancetta. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.
Add the cabbage tomatoes, basil and spinach. Add the chicken broth and a good pinch of red pepper flakes, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the beans, bread, cheese rinds. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Ladle into bowls, dust with romano cheese and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.