Savory Vegetable Ribolitta with Italian Crostini

Savory Vegetable Ribolitta with Italian Crostini

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If you have a hankering for cabbage, then this is the soup for you.  (Ha, like anyone has ever hankered for cabbage.) So, to be less specific, if you like tasty soup, then this is the recipe for you.   I wanted to eat this dinner on my screened porch so I dared to clean the pollen off of it.   Murphy’s Law will catch up to me but I do believe most of the yellow pine pollen is gone.

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Each year it is a major event to get this porch back into shape after the onslaught of the yellow pollen invasion.  Every other year I take the furniture out of the screened porch and wash it off.  Fortunately, we did that last year and this is a dust only year.  However, even without washing it did take several hours to get rid of the pollen.

First, I start with a yard blower to get most of it out the door. It’s stubborn, though, and doesn’t really blow off readily.

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Then, I vacuum every inch including floor and cushions to get the rest.

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Tonight we celebrated with a clean screened porch supper of soup, salad and my favorite sugar cookies.

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The soup was surprisingly good for a reluctant vegetable eater.  I think the crostini put it over the top in taste.  Don’t leave that step out!  You can see it in the bottom of the bowl.

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Savory Vegetable Ribolitta

 

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/3 cup diced carrot

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small zucchini, diced

1 14-oz can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

1 14-oz  can vegetable broth

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

2 cups chopped Savoy or Napa cabbage (I used Napa)

Thyme, Basil, Italian Seasoning, Salt and Pepper to taste (Don’t go crazy with seasonings because the crostini adds even more seasoning to the soup.)

Crostini Recipe

1/2 loaf Italian bread

1/4 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

 

In a large saucepan over low heat, cook onion, celery, carrot, and garlic in olive oil until tender.  Add the zucchini, beans, broth, tomatoes, cabbage and seasonings. Add 1/4 cup water if more broth is desired. Simmer 20 minutes.  Serve soup over crostini. Garnish with Parmesan cheese.   To make crostini,  slice Italian bread into 1-inch slices.  Mix together the oil, garlic and Italian seasoning. Brush oil mixture onto bread and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly toasted.

Here are a few pics along the way.  First, cook the vegetables in olive oil.

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Add the cabbage, tomato and broth.  I used Napa cabbage.

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Ready to simmer.

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We finished off the meal with a frosted sugar cookie.  Recipe to come tomorrow. I’m going to go now to see what’s left of the fire out on the porch.

 

 

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