Tuscan Bread and Bean

Tuscan Bread and Bean

2 cups of cannellini beans, rinsed

2 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 leek, chopped

¾ cup olive oil

½ savoy cabbage, chiffonade

1 bunch swiss chard, chiffonade

6 cups veggie broth

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ loaf of day-old bread

Parmesan cheese, shaved (optional)

1.      Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight.

2.      Cook the beans with the bay leaves and half of the garlic cloves until they are soft, about 1 hour.

3.      Strain them, reserving 1 cup of the liquid to add to the soup.

4.      In a food processor, shred the remaining 2 cloves of garlic with the celery, carrot, onion, and leek until very fine; still with tiny pieces of the vegetables, not a purée.

5.      Sauté the vegetables in a ¼ cup of olive oil on medium-low heat, about 10 minutes, or until it is fragrant and slightly colored.

6.      Add the cooked beans and the 1 cup cooking water, cabbage, swiss chard, and veggie broth.

7.      Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately one hour.

8.      Season to taste with salt and pepper.

9.      Tear the stale bread into small chunks and place a handful of the bread in each bowl.

10.  Ladle the soup over it and let it sit for a few minutes for the bread to soften and the broth to be absorbed.

11.  Finish each bowl with olive oil, freshly ground black pepper, and Parmesan cheese.