There are many variations to the soup and it’s one of the reasons why I like it so much. It’s a very flexible recipe and it’s similar to minestrone soup. You can add any vegetables you have on hand and you don’t have to worry about perfect measurements.

Here’s a list of the ingredients that I like to use for my version of this hearty and comforting soup. By the way, the veggies don’t need to be peeled or perfectly chopped. This is a rustic soup!

• 1 can cannellini or white beans (do not drain)
• 1 tomato, roughly chopped
• 1/2-1 bunch kale, torn by hand into pieces (spinach works too)
• onion, as much as you’d like
• 1 garlic clove, optional
• 1 package, potato and whole wheat gnocchi (these are Italian potato dumplings), or use 2 medium potatoes instead
• 1 carton low sodium vegetable stock or 4 cups of water (vegetable stock adds more flavor)
• 2 unpeeled carrots, sliced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• mushrooms, chopped (optional)
• 1 stick celery, sliced or diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon grapeseed oil
• sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• dried oregano or Italian herbs (optional)
• day-old sprouted grain bread torn in pieces

Directions:

1. Heat your pot with a little bit of oil and add all the chopped veggies, except the kale, and cook for about five minutes on low/medium heat. Add salt/pepper and spices. Stir every now and then so the veggies don’t brown too much. You can also steam the veggies if you don’t want to use oil.

2. Add the chopped tomato, canned beans, spices, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil.

3. Add the gnochhi. They’ll be ready when they rise to the top. *Potatoes will need more cooking time so add them first with the rest of the veggies if you decide to use potatoes instead of gnocchi.

4. Finally stir in torn kale and pieces of  bread and serve.

Serves 4-5 people. Cooking time: roughly 30 minutes.