Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 6 servings

- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 1 cup (3 oz/90 g) coarsely chopped cauliflower florets
- 4 or 5 cavolo nero or dinosaur kale leaves, shredded
- 1 cup (2 oz/60 g) shredded Swiss chard leaves
- 2 zucchini (courgettes), trimmed and diced
- 1 large boiling potato, peeled and diced
- 2 cups (14 oz/440 g) drained cooked cannellini beans
- 1/4 cup ('/3 oz/10 g) minced mixed fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, rosemary, and sage, in about equal parts
- 2 1/2 qt (2.5 l) chicken stok of vegetal broth
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12-15 thin slices day-old coarse country bread
- 1/2 cup (2 oz/60 g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

When Tuscan cooks make this soup, they often serve it in two or three forms over the next few days. It starts as a hearty vegetable soup, which can be eaten as is. The soup is then layered, at the time it is made or as leftovers the next day, with stale bread to make zuppa di pane, or "bread soup." When the leftover bread soup is baked until hot and drizzled with olive oil, it is declared ribollita, or "reboiled." The version here is prepared and served the same day. The ingredient that makes the soup authentic is cavolo nero, or "black cabbage," a dark green, leafy vegetable. Dinosaur kale can be substituted.

In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, warm the 1/2 cup olive oil. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté unti! the onion is golden, 3-4 minutes. Add the cauliflower and sauté until tender-crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the cavolo nero, chard, zucchini, and potato (in that order) and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes.
Add the beans and herbs to the pot, stir well, and pour in the stock. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 425°F (220°C).
Ladle enough soup into a 9-by-13-by-2-inch (23-by-33-by-5-cm) baking dish to cover the bottom. Top with 4 or 5 bread slices, trimming them to fit if necessary. Add another layer of soup. Sprinkle evenly with one-third of the cheese. Top with a layer each of the bread slices, then the soup, and finally the cheese. Repeat for a third layer.
Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with olive oil. Spoon the soup into warmed soup bowls and serve at once.

Buon appetito!