Ribollito

Sayster's Note:

This is from Sunset magazine. I tweaked it a tad, adding more veggies and herbs, so that it has only about 75 cals per ladle, which I think is about a cup. I got 15 ladles out of the pot. You could make croutons out of french bread and put that on top, but I omitted that for this version to save on carbs and cals. Really good! I made a huge pot and have been bringing it to work every day.

• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Serves: 5

Yield: 15.0 cups

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ white onion , chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1.5 (16 ounce) bags baby carrots , chopped
• 4 celery ribs , chopped into 1-in . pieces
• 1 ½ quarts chicken broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans , drained and rinsed
• 1 (28 ounce) can whole canned tomatoes , quartered, plus juice
• 5 cups swiss chard , chopped (a bundle)
• 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 15 tablespoons parmesan cheese , grated

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add carrots and celery and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes. Stir in broth and beans, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and chard, along with dried herbs, and simmer another 15 minutes, covered.
2. Just before serving, add basil and cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Divide soup among serving bowls and top each with cheese.