Tuscan Ribollita

Heat the oven to 375°F. Wash your hands and rinse the vegetables under running water before preparing them, trimming away damaged areas and drying the vegetables. Peel the onion and carrots, then dice the onion, carrots and celery into approximately 1/4-inch pieces. Mince the garlic and roughly chop the stemmed kale.

Tear the bread into roughly 1-inch pieces and spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet. Toast for 10–12 minutes, turning halfway through, until dry and lightly golden. Set aside. Continue with the beans and vegetables while the bread toasts.

Place 1 cup of the drained beans in the small bowl with 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth. Mash thoroughly with a fork to make a thick, slightly chunky paste. Keep the remaining 2 cups of beans whole.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and salt. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onion is soft and the vegetables are beginning to soften without browning deeply. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add the mashed beans, whole beans, kale and remaining 3 1/2 cups of broth. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and kale are tender.

Stir in the toasted bread. Simmer gently for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping along the bottom to prevent sticking. The bread should absorb the broth and partly break down, leaving a thick, spoonable soup with some whole beans and tender bread pieces remaining. Reduce the heat if the thickened soup begins to sputter.

Remove the pot from the heat and let the soup rest for 5 minutes. Divide among four bowls. Finish each bowl with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the remaining olive oil and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, using the reserved oil and cheese across all four servings.