Guest Post-Ribollita Soup

It's so funny, the relationships you form with people. And it is downright scary when you start reading each other's mind.
I again asked my friend Leslie for  blog contribution, and fine cook that she is, she came up with precisely what I cooked for supper last night... I just didn't know what it was called!
My version was probably not quite as refined. I used frozen heirloom tomatoes that I grew and froze last summer, my own mix of dried beans from the garden that I had cooked up, and some fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil and thyme that are growing in my kitchen.
As Mollie and I sat down to eat I told her it was "everything but the kitchen sink soup." In her clever way, she eyed me suspiciously and queried "there's a toilet in here mom?" She's a funny girl. But she gobbled it right up.
Thanks again for the recipe, Leslie.

This cold and damp winter has me wanting soup on a regular basis. Combine that with my resolution to eat more meatless meals this year and I am constantly searching for ways to make over some old favourites. One of those is Ribollita Soup. Ribollita means reboiled in Italian. The story is that this soup was born when there was need for a nourishing yet affordable meal made from left-overs to feed the poor. Hence the name reboiled. Traditionally, Tuscan ribollita is a bread-thickened vegetable soup made with pancetta or bacon and chicken stock. Here is my vegetarian version, perfect for a cold, damp, winter day. 

“Only the pure of heart can make good soup”  ~ Beethoven

Ribollita Soup

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 pound chopped assorted greens (spinach, kale, collards, swiss chard) 

1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon herbs de Provence

3 cups vegetable stock 

1 bay leaf

1 (3 inch) piece Parmesan rind

Grated Parmesan for serving 

Directions: 

Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent and soft. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the greens, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. 

When the soup is ready, sprinkle with Parmesan, and serve with warm crusty bread.