Minestrone Thickened with Bread

• olive oil

• 4 slices turkey bacon, chopped

• 1 yellow onion, sliced

• 2 bay leaves

• 4 sage leaves, julienned

• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped

• 1 head of napa cabbage, julienned

• 1 head of dino or curly kale, julienned or chopped

• 1 can of whole or crushed tomatoes (your choice!)

• 1 can of cannelinni beans or any white bean, drained and rinsed

• 6 cups of chicken broth + 2 cups of water

• kosher salt + pepper

• about 2 cups of cubed ciabbata bread or a french baguette to make the homemade croutons, recipe below

• freshly grated parmesan + crushed red pepper for serving

Method

Grab your large dutch oven or soup pot and place over medium low heat. Add about about a tbsp of olive oil to the bottom of the pot. Once warm, add your aromatics- onions, sage, bay leaves, and bacon. Sprinkle with kosher salt and couple grinds of black pepper. Allow the bacon to crisp up and the onions to turn slightly translucent.

Add the garlic, celery, and carrots and stir the pot. Allow to cook for 3 minutes and then add the kale and cabbage; give it a big stir and season with another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add your canned tomatoes, beans, broth, and water. Bring to a simmer. Check for seasoning. Adjust as needed, and allow to cook for a minimum of 30 minutes with the lid on.

Meanwhile, make the croutons.

Heat oven to 425. Place bread on parchment paper and drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper all over the bread. Bake the cubed bread for 10 minutes, shaking the pan halfway until golden brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

For serving, ladle soup into your bowl, add a handful of croutons, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and a couple sprinkles of crushed red pepper.