Tuscan Peasant-Style Lean Soup

Ingredients

• g stale brown soft-crumb bread
• g white beans
• g olive oil
• L water
• cabbage (savoy or white)
• black cabbage (cavolo nero)
• bunch chard
• potato
• cured-pork or prosciutto rind
• onion
• cloves garlic
• pieces celery
• parsley
• tomato sauce or paste
• salt
• pepper

Instructions

1. Boil the white beans in 2 L water with the pork rinds (start beans in cold water; top up with hot if needed).
2. Make a battuto of onion, garlic, celery and parsley; colour it in the oil, then add the cut cabbages, chard and diced potato.
3. Season, add tomato, and moisten with bean liquid if dry.
4. When the beans are done, add a quarter whole to the greens; sieve the rest, dissolve in the bean liquid and add to the pot.
5. Boil a little more and pour over thin bread slices in the tureen; rest 20 minutes. Serves six, better cold.