Modified recipe of Janice Cole’s original by Lynn F. Casella

Click on photo to see slide show and captions.

1. Italian Spicy and Mild Sausage

2. Delicatessan Italian Sausage

3. Add chicken stock to vegetables in pan

4. Stock to Pan with Vegetables

5. Chop Swiss Chard

6. Add Cannellini Beans, Sauce and Swiss Chard

7. Continue Cooking

8. Brown Italian Bread with Butter and Grated Cheese

9. Enjoy with grated Parmesan cheese

This soup is based on the Italian soup la ribollita, which was reheated and stretched over many meals. I have added the option of adding either chunks of sweet or hot Italian sausage, but it works just as well as a vegetable soup. It’s packed with root vegetables, chard and beans and topped with crunchy garlic toasts. Although any type of chard can be used, look for a red-stemmed or rainbow variety for color. The stems cook longer than the leaves so they’re added first.

Soup

2 T. olive oil (or some olive oil)

6-8 links Italian sweet and/or hot sausage, cut into fourths

2 large onion, chopped

2 medium leeks, halved soaked in water to clean, the sliced

2 large carrots (or a few more)

2 parsnips, chopped

2 small turnips, chopped

(I do peel the carrots, parsnips and turnips, but I guess if you really cleaned them they would do fine unpeeled.)

1 bunch Swiss chard

6 large garlic cloves, minced

6 new red potatoes, unpeeled, diced (3/4 inch)

2 (32 oz.) cans lower-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

1 ½ t. dried basil

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

1 (15- or 19 –oz.) can cannellini beans, drained, rinsed

(Cannellinis are a white bean, but not the same as the white bean in the super market. So, if you can find an Italian deli nearby, go get your cannellinis there. They are a little longer white bean.)

Garlic Toast

1/12 t. olive oil

1 small garlic clove, minced

8 slices ciabatta bread

½ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Throw in the chunks of sausage to brown. Turn several times till browned. Then add onions, leeks, carrots, parsnips and turnips; stir to combine. Place foil or parchment paper or a lid cracked to the side on top of vegetables and sausage; reduce heat to medium. Cook 5-8 minutes or until vegetables have begun to sweat and are glistening.
2. Meanwhile, pour yourself a glass of good red Chianti or Zinfandel and take a sip or two.
3. Then, diagonally slice chard stems to equal 1 cup. Coarsely chop chard leaves to equal 3 cups or so. Save leftovers for another meal.
4. Remove foil or parchment cover from pot. Add the 6 gloves of minced garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in potatoes. Add broth, basil, salt and pepper; bring to a boil Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are almost tender.
5. Stir in beans and chard stems; cook 4 minutes. Add chard leaves; cook 3-4 minutes or until tender. (Soup can be made to this point 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
6. Before serving, heat broiler. Combine 1 ½ t. oil and 1 clove minced garlic; brush over both sides of bread. Place on baking sheet. Broil 1-2 minutes or until light golden brown, turning once. Top each serving with 1 or 2 garlic toast; sprinkle with lots of cheese.
7. Serves 8 (about 1 ½ c.) servings. Without sausage, it is 340 calories, 7 g. total fat (2 g. saturated fat), 16 g protein, 55 g. carbohydrate, 5 mg. cholesterol, 1260 sodium, 9 g. fiber
8. WINE: this Tuscan soup needs a Tuscan wine. For red, try the 2005 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti, for white, the 2005 Mormoraia Vernaccia di San Gimignano.