Vegetable Soup (zuppa di verdure)

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Recipe byjanetlsanders

Notes:

Makes: 12 to 14 cups, to serve 8 to 10

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Ingredients:

3 cups cooked beans plus 1 ½ to 2 cups cooking liquid
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus more to garnish
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
2 medium carrots, scraped and finely sliced
1 leek, cleaned and finely sliced
4 fresh ripe flavorful tomatoes, peeled (or 1 cup canned tomatoes with juice)
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in small chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 bunch green chard, finely sliced
1 bunch kale or cavolo nero, finely sliced
½ small green cabbage, quartered and finely sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
8 slices stale country-style bread, if desired

Drain the cooked beans, reserving the liquid in which they cooked. Set aside about 1 cup of the beans and puree the remainder along with the bean liquid. Reserve.

In a heavy soup kettle, heat the oil. Add the onion, chopped garlic, celery, carrots and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Chop the tomatoes coarsely and add them and their juice to the vegetables. Stir in the potatoes and add 1 ½ cups boiling water. Taste and add salt and pepper as desired. Cook, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes just start to soften.

If you are using large leaves of chard, kale or cavolo nero, remove the thick stalks and discard them, then sliver the greens. Together with the slivered cabbage, you should have 4 to 5 cups of greens. After the potatoes have started to soften, add the greens, the bean puree and the reserved cup of whole beans, along with the fresh or dried thyme, stirring to incorporate everything well.

Lower the heat to low, cover the kettle, and cook at a bare simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, or until the vegetables are very soft. Add boiling water from time to time as necessary to prevent the bean puree from sticking to the kettle.

Serve as is or over toasted slices of garlic-rubbed bread. Drizzle each serving with a little extra virgin olive oil.

Flavors of Tuscany

Nancy Harmon Jenkins