Minestra di pane [Bread soup]

Ingredients

gr 700 red or kidney beans
gr 350 ripe tomatoes
gr 200 potatoes
1 black cabbage
2 celery stalks, 2 carrots
1 onion, 1 clove garlic
1 hot pepper (Capsicum)
a few parsley leaves
gr 350 stale Tuscan bread, sliced
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt tand pepper to taste

Method

Wash all the ingredients before preparation. Dice the onions and chop the celery, carrot and parsley. Cut the remaining vegetables. Boil the beans in a saucepan. Take a large saucepan and add the extra virgin olive oil to it. Sauté the garlic, onions, carrots, celery and parsley till they turn golden brown. Now add the other vegetables and cook them with constant stirring over medium heat for fifteen minutes. Now add the boiled beans and cook all these ingredients over medium heat for about 45 minutes. Take a tureen. Add slices of the stale Tuscan bread covering the bottom of the tureen. Alternate the layers of bread with the vegetable mixture until the pot is full. Now your traditional Minestra di Pane is ready for your taste buds to enjoy. Do not be worried if you are unable to finish the delicious Bread Soup in one sitting. You can always reheat it the next day with some extra virgin olive oil and thus enjoy a lovely traditional Ribollita.