This is a recipe that I adapted from the Rachel Ray show. It caught my eye because it had a bunch of ingredients that I had in my fridge and needed to use up before they got too old. It is a very hearty soup, great as planned overs for lunch. As Rachel would say, it turned out yummo!

1/4 cup EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for drizzling

1 bulb fennel, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

3 to 4 small ribs celery with leafy tops, finely chopped

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 fresh bay leaf

Salt and pepper

3 to 4 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped

7 to 8 leaves of sage, thinly sliced

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch Tuscan kale (aka. lacinato), leaves stripped and very thinly sliced (dinosaur kale or Swiss chard are fine to use as well)

A few grates of nutmeg

1 quart vegetable stock

3 cups water

5 to 6 slices (each about 1/2-inch thick) stale peasant bread or crusty white bread, torn into pieces

1 small white or red onion, finely chopped

nutritional yeast flakes

Yields: Serves 4

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. After the pan is hot, add the olive oil, about 3-4 turns of the pan. Add fennel, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and bay leaf, and season with salt, pepper, rosemary and sage. Sauté 15 minutes to develop flavors and color.

Stir in tomato paste, cook for 30 seconds, then add wine and let it evaporate, about 1 minute. Add beans and greens, and season with a little nutmeg. Add stock &  water. (If you want, you may use the equivalent of veggie/or chicken bouillon & water.) Reduce heat to medium and cook at a low, rolling boil, about 10 minutes.

Add bread pieces to soup and stir a few minutes to break it up. The ribollita is done when a wooden spoon can stand straight up in the soup.

To serve, ladle into shallow bowls and garnish with a generous drizzle of olive oil, finely chopped raw onion and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast.