Ingredients

1 cup olive oil, plus more for serving

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 tsp salt, plus more

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 15oz can crushed tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) 

8 cups veg or chicken stock

1 small loaf stale Tuscan-style bread (rustic country loaf or boule) slices, crusts removed, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 large bunch of kale, stemmed and thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 large swiss chard thinly sliced into 1-inch pieces

1 (4-inch) Parmesan cheese rind

2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

2 15oz cans cooked cannellini beans divided

Fresh ground black pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

In a heavy pot or Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium-low. When hot add onion,

carrots, and celery. Stir in salt to draw out liquid from onions. 

Sauté, stirring often and scraping bottom of pot,  maintaining a gentle sizzle, until mixture is very soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium; cook, stirring often, until “sofrito” is caramelized, about 10-15 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper. Cook stirring constantly about 1 minute. 

Stir in crushed tomatoes and stir scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pot until mixture

is well combined. Increase heat to maintain a vigorous simmer.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced to a jam-like consistency, about 20 minutes.

Add stock (hold back 1 cup to puree the beans with), bread, kale, Swiss chard, and Parmesan rind; stir, scraping bottom of pan to fully

incorporate sofrito into liquid. Simmer until kale is tender and bread is dissolved, about 20 minutes.

Stir in potatoes, and simmer until partially tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, puree 1 can of the beans with 1 cup of the stock.

Add bean puree and remaining whole beans, and simmer until beans and potatoes are completely tender but not falling apart, about 25 minutes. Season with about 1 teaspoon more salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Divide among bowls, and top each with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

For leftovers: Let soup cool to room temperature; cover and chill up to 3 days. Reheat soup gently before serving,

Decent bread and canned beans work fine here, but if you shop for the best rustic loaf baked with freshly milled flour you can find, and cook your beans in extra sofrito a day ahead your ribollita will go from good to great.