Via Fratta's Tuscan Minestrone Soup

Directions

1. If using fresh beans, soak them the night before with a bit of lemon juice. Lentils can be soaked for just an hour or 30 minutes. Once ready, rinse them well. Pre-cook the beans for about 20 to 30 minutes. If using canned, add them 10 minutes before the end of cooking.
2. Wash, trim, and cut all the vegetables: Finely dice the onion, celery, and all but one carrot. Cut the last carrot more coarsely. The chopped base of these three vegetables is called soffritto. Chop the other vegetables into chunkier pieces.
3. Add the oil to a pot that can hold all the vegetables and water to cook them. Peel the garlic cloves and crush them, then lightly stir fry them with the sage and rosemary. Even though the pot is big, it is best to use a medium flame for this recipe. After some 5 minutes everything should smell very aromatic.
4. Add the soffritto mixture to the oil and stir around. Let it cook until the onion gets a bit translucent; another 5 minutes will do. Then, remove the herbs and garlic.
5. Add the potatoes, pumpkin, beans, split peas, tomato sauce, bouillon cube (if using), and Parmesan rind (if using). Stir things around a bit and add water to cover everything by a couple inches. Partially cover the pot, and wait for it to come to a boil.
6. At this point add about a half tablespoon of the salt. It is best to check again for salt later. Keep it to a steady, gentle simmer.
7. After 10 minutes, add the lentils, the zucchini, and the chard. Now you can leave it to cook undisturbed for 30 more minutes; just check it every now and then to make sure there’s enough water in the pot and nothing sticks. You can add more or less water depending on how thick you want it to be, but don’t add too much or it might get bland. When the soup is almost done, check for salt and adjust to your liking.
8. For the croutons: Cut slices of crusty bread and rub them with garlic, olive oil, and rosemary. Or, cut them into rough cubes and toss them with those ingredients. Toast them until crispy and golden.
9. Serve the soup with the croutons or bruschetta, a bit more olive oil, and a teaspoon or two of Parmigiano. It is really good straight from the pot, and 1,000 times better a few hours later or the day after.
10. SUBSTITUTIONS: - Use any kind of bean you like! - Change the vegetables according to what’s seasonally available. - Chickpeas, small pasta, or other things like millet, rice, farro, etc. would be great add-ons or bread substitutes. I actually added the bread just for styling purposes, as I tend to avoid it when I can. - Miso would be good instead of the salt. Not italian, but it would do an awesome job! Use a little over a tablespoon instead of the bouillon cube.