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Ingredients

• 1 - 1 1/2 cups dried Cannellini or Great Northern Beans
• 2 ounces salt pork or pancetta
• 10 to 12 cups beef or chicken broth
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 cup loosely packed parsley, chopped

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 head savoy or curly cabbage, sliced
• 1 potato, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 cups chopped Italian styled peeled plum tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parmesan cheese, grated for garnish

Method

1 Soak beans overnight in cold water. Drain beans, rinse, and place them in a large saucepan or stockpot. Add salt pork or pancetta and 6 cups of broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 1 hour.

2 Heat oil in a separate large stockpot. Add chopped vegetables (onion, celery, carrot, garlic, parsley) and sauté gently 5 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Add remaining vegetables and tomatoes. Add remaining 5 cups broth. Simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3 Remove salt pork or pancetta from beans. Dice finely. Transfer half of the beans to a food processor or a blender and blend into a paste. Add mashed beans to the vegetables. Add remaining whole beans, broth, and diced pork to vegetables.

4 Simmer 5 minutes longer. Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese.

Serves 10-12, easily. (This recipe makes a lot of soup!)

Note
Beans will absorb a great deal of liquid while cooking. Add more broth or water to replace lost liquid if needed, or the beans will stick.