Ribolitta- Courtesy of Janna Patterson of Eats and Beats

Holy, Hannah! This recipe was DELICIOUS!!! Even my toddler, who eats like a little bird no matter what I make, ate a big bowl and then asked for and ate seconds! I will absolutely, positively be making this again. Today was a hot day, so hot soup probably wasn't really a weather-appropriate choice, but I DON'T CARE! It was totally worth it. And come Fall and Winter, I'll be making this regularly. It would be perfection on a cold, crisp day.

This recipe comes courtesy of my best friend, Janna Patterson (as many of my favorite recipes do), and tonight was my first time attempting it (original recipe here: http://www.jannapatterson.com/2011/12/menu-ribollita-and-pizzas-with.html). I've actually wanted to make it for a while but just hadn't gotten around to it. I didn't have all the ingredients and had to do a couple substitutions, but it still came out so great that I didn't notice anything lacking. The recipe calls for 4 oz of pancetta, which I didn't feel like hunting down (our local stores don't have it), so I used 4 oz of thick cut bacon instead, which infused the soup with incredible flavor. I'm also currently avoiding white flour, so I substituted good whole wheat bread for the sourdough (which I don't doubt would also be good). New recipes often take me longer to cook than ones I've done before. This one was no exception. I did all the prep work this morning, though, so when the dinner hour rolled around, I didn't have to be in the kitchen quite so long (and risk incurring the wrath of my children).

Please do yourself a favor and make this soup. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Ribolitta
Serves 8
Total Time: 35-45 min (I took more time than this with the prep)

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces pancetta (I used thick cut bacon)
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 ribs celery, chopped
1 dried bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 15-ounce cans white beans, such as cannellini, Great Northern, or navy beans, drained and rinsed (my bestie usse a combo of G.N. and navy. I used cannellini)
8 cups chicken stock or broth
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
3 tablespoons tomato paste
4 cups day-old sourdough bread cubes, without crusts (I used good whole wheat bread)
freshly grated Parmesan, for serving (I skipped the cheese since I'm avoiding dairy other than Greek yogurt at the moment- I didn't miss it at all)

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-medium low heat.
2. Add the pancetta and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 7-10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, and bayleaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add beans, broth, tomatoes, and tomato paste, stir, cover, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
5. Remove lid and stir in bread. Let it simmer for about 10-20 minutes, allowing the bread to break down and soup to thicken. (It's meant to be a thick soup, but you can adjust the thickness to your liking, adding more bread or broth as desired.)
6. Season to taste.
7. Dish into bowls and top with Parmesan.