Country Market Soup

Ingredients

• 2 onions, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 60 ml (4 tbsp) olive oil
• 2 L (8 cups / 500 g) Savoy cabbage, sliced thinly then chopped
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh thyme leaves
• 2 L (8 cups) beef stock
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cans, 540 ml (19 oz each) cannelli beans, drained and rinsed
• 8 slices fine-grained country bread
• Virgin olive oil, to taste