As fall descends upon us here in the northern hemisphere it is beginning to feel more and more appropriate to start eating soup again. There is nothing better than being inside, comfortable while the cold wind howls outdoors. This hearty soup can warm you up even on the chilliest fall days. 

Ribollita, a well-known Tuscsan soup of bread, cannellini beans and kale with a tomato base was the inspiration for this recipe. Here we substitute in quinoa, that when cooked into the broth has a wonderful flavour. As always, I recommend using dry cannellini beans so you can properly season the beans during cooking. If you chose to do so, any cooking method will do and I recommend seasoning with a few sprigs of rosemary, thyme, black pepper and salt. 

Two ingredients that really pull this soup together are the parmesan rinds and the lemon slices. The rind brings the dish a wonderful umami flavor and the whole lemon slices add a beautiful acidity to the soup. As always, I hope this soup brings you as much joy as it brought me to make it! 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 4 medium carrots, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• Parmesan rind
• Freshly cracked black pepper. 
• 2 thick slices of lemon, seeds removed
• 2-3 sprigs of thyme
• 1-2 sprigs of rosemary
• 7 cups unsalted vegetable broth
• 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
• 2 cups cooked cannellini beans
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 large bunch kale
• 1 cup quinoa
• Grated parmesan, to top

Active time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Directions:

1. Heat a quarter cup olive oil on medium low heat. Add in the onions, celery, carrots and garlic. Add a pinch of salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes.
2. Once completed, add the can of tomatoes and their juices, the lemon slices, parmesan rind, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, vegetable broth, and the pre-cooked beans. Stir and bring to boil. Once boiling turn it down to a simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the tomatoes start to break down.
3. After the tomatoes have started to break down, fish out the parmesan rind, the lemon slices and any stems from the rosemary and thyme that you can find. Start adding in the kale. If using curly kale this can take a few batches.
4. With the kale integrated into the soup, add the cup of quinoa and bring it to a boil on medium high heat. Once bubbling, turn it down and let it simmer for 12-15 minutes without the lid. It is finished once the quinoa has been cooked. Aim for slightly “al dente” quinoa as it will continue to cook even after removed from the heat. Remove from the heat. Taste for salt and pepper, adjust accordingly. Serve topped with a sprinkle of parmesan.