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1
Prepare beans by washing them well.
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2
Cover with water in stock pot and bring to boil.
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3
Remove from heat and let beans sit in the water for a couple of hours to soften.
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4
Add more water to pot to cover beans, add thyme, rosemary and bay leaf, and simmer until barely done, about 45 minutes.
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5
They should be watched because they tend to become mushy soon after they're done.
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6
Remove herbs.
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7
Clean and cut into medium dice the onion, carrots, celery and garlic.
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8
Roughly chop the curly cabbage or chard; if using chard, cut the stems into medium dice.
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9
In large skillet, saute sausage onion and carrots in olive oil over medium heat.
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10
After a few minutes, add celery, then the cabbage or chard and garlic, adding more oil if needed.
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11
Reduce heat, cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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12
Add vegetable mixture to the beans with tomatoes and the cheese rind.
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13
Add enough stock (vegetable, chicken or beef) to cover.
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14
Salt and pepper to taste.
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15
Bring to boil, then simmer 1 hour to blend flavors.
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16
Add bread cubes.
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17
Allow to rest for several hours.
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18
Mince parsley and stir into soup, reheat, and serve with grated Parmesan on top.
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19
Pass olive oil to drizzle over soup.
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20
From original poster: Please note that the long hours are passive cook time.
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21
Leftover pasta, green beans, peas, pancetta (if you omit the sausage) and potatoes all can be added to the pot the next day.
