Ribollita.....Tuscan Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup pancetta, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 leek, diced
• 2 stocks celery, diced
• 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/2 head savoy or green cabbage, chopped
• vegetable stock: onion, carrots, celery,
• leek, fennel bulb, mushrooms, basil, small
• amount of wine, water to cover; cook 45
• minutes, strain when cooked.
• 1 1/2 cups zucchini, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups potato, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups white beans, pureed in own cooking water
• 1 cup tomatoes (either pureed fresh, canned, OR
• 1/2 cup tomato paste mixed with 1/2 cup
• water)
• 1 loaf (approximately) day-old or older bread or
• toasted to dry, sliced about 1/2" thick

Method

• Place olive oil in large sauce pan and add pancetta to perfume. Add onion, celery, parsley, garlic and sweat to perfume. Add salt/pepper to taste.
• When above is translucent and smells wonderful (to perfume), add carrots, cabbage and some vegetable stock to cover. Cook a few minutes to begin cooking. Stir and add vegetable stock just to cover vegetables
• After 1 1/2 hour cooking, add zucchini, potatoes, pureed beans with liquid cooked in and tomatoes....adding more or less tomatoes to color of "orange-pink" and correct consistency (not too watery). Cook another 40 minutes.
• Place sliced dried bread in large bowl and layer with cooked soup alternating layers until top of bowl is reached. Allow to cool to room temperature and serve.

Notes

• Description:
• "This is one of the favorites of Tuscan soups. It is served at room
• temperature or even cold!"
• SERVINGS: 8