ribollita – tuscan white bean soup Recipe

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup good olive oil
• 1/4 pound large diced pancetta or bacon (optional – sub Parmesan rind in the broth)
• 2 cups diced onions
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced fennel bulb (or sub celery)
• 4 – 6 cloves garlic- rough chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, more to taste
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 2-3 medium tomatoes – diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
• 6 cups chopped lacinato kale
• Splash white wine
• 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade (or use veggie stock)
• 3 cups cooked cannellini beans – or use 2 cans cannellini beans (drained, minced), or great northern white beans
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Grated pecorino or Parmesan – optional
• Toasty Bread
• Rosemary Lemon Garlic Oil-
• ½ cup good olive oil
• zest of one large lemon
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• few sprigs rosemary (or thyme, sage)