Description

You'll feel like you are in Tuscany when you eat this wonderful soup. It's a delicious and filling soup to serve on a cold winter night.

Ingredients

• 2 T. olive oil, divided
• 2 medium carrots, finely chopped
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• ½ fennel bulb, cored and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• 3 fresh thyme sprigs
• ½ t. red pepper flakes
• 15 oz. can low-sodium crushed tomatoes
• 8 c. low-sodium vegetable stock/broth (or chicken stock/broth)
• 1 t. kosher salt
• ½ t. ground black pepper
• 2 c. cooked cannellini beans (homemade or canned, rinsed)
• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves coarsely, chopped (or cabbage or spinach*)
• ¼ c. finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 c. bite-size pieces crusty bread
• ½ lemon, cut into wedges

Steps

1. Heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot/Dutch oven. Add carrots, celery, onion, fennel and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and onion is translucent, 15 - 20 minutes. Add thyme sprigs and red pepper flakes; cook, stirring often, for 1 minute; stir in tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Pour in stock/broth; add salt and pepper; stir in beans and kale; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; gently simmer until kale is tender, 15 - 20 minutes.
2. Stir the bread into the soup; continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens and bread is mostly broken down, 20 - 25 minutes.
3. Serve warm with a drizzle of the remaining 1 T. olive oil, some grated Parmesan cheese, and a lemon wedge. If desired, before ladling soup into bowls, add a few pieces of the crusty bread.