KitchenMagician's Recipe

VEG - RIBOLLITA

Category: Broth Soups

Makes 6 servings.

1 loaf stale chewy Italian bread
3 T. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 onions, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
2 15-oz. cans small white beans
9 c. chicken broth
3 c. tomato sauce
1 white onion, thinly sliced or finely chopped
1 1/2 c. grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Slice bread into 1-inch slices; remove crusts and tear in to bite-sized pieces; set aside.
Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot over moderate heat; add oil, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bay leaf.
Season vegetables with salt and pepper and sauté until they begin to soften 5 to 7 minutes.
Add beans, chicken broth and tomato sauce; bring to a boil over medium high heat.
Remove lid and stir in torn stale bread; incorporate bread as it breaks down.
When soup is thick and bread is distributed evenly, adjust seasoning and serve the soup in shallow bowls.
Top shallow bowlfuls of soup with thinly sliced or finely chopped raw onion, a drizzle of extra- virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.