Italian Vegetable (Ed Fretwell) Soup

1 lb white beans, such as cannellini or marrow beans
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and smashed under the side of a knife
3 fresh sage leaves
10 cups water
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
8 medium carrots, sliced into thin rounds
2 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and sliced into 1/4-inch-think half-moons
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3/4 lb Swiss chard (about 1 small bunch), stalks discarded and leaves coarsely chopped
3/4 lb green cabbage (about 1/2 of a medium head), trimmed and coarsely chopped
One 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 Tbsp salt
Best-quality olive oil, for serving
Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving (optional)

1. Put the beans in a medium bowl, and cover them with cool water by at least 1 inch. Set aside at room temperature, uncovered, for 6 hours or overnight.
2. Drain the beans, and put them in a Dutch oven or other (approximately 5-quart) pot. Add the garlic, sage leaves, and 10 cups cold water. The beans should be covered by at least 1 inch. Place the pot over high heat, and bring it to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour. Skim away any brownish foam that rises to the surface.
3. While the beans cook, start the rest of the soup. In a large (8-quart or more) soup pot, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the zucchini and broth, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a simmer. Then add the Swiss chard, cabbage, and tomatoes, cover the pot, and simmer gently, adjusting the heat as necessary, for 1 hour.
4. After 1 hour, add the cooked beans and their cooking water, discarding the sage leaves. Add the salt and stir well. Simmer for another 30 minutes to 1 hour, stirring frequently, until the beans and vegetables are very tender and the broth has taken on a creamy pale orange hue. Taste, and add salt as needed.
5. Serve with a hearty glug of good olive oil over the top of each bowl and a dusting of Parmigiano-Reggiano, if you like.

Note: Refrigerated, this soup will keep for up to a week, and it gets better with each passing day. It also freezes nicely.

Source: "A Homemade Life," Molly Wizenberg

Try #1 - October 3, 2011
Yum! This recipe makes a TON... it was to the brim of our 8-quart pot. Makes great leftovers. This was a bit time consuming, with all the vegetable chopping, and it takes a good 3 hours to cook. So this soup is probably best to make on a weekend. But a good choice for serving a large group of people!