MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Slow Cooker Ribollita w/Smoked Mozzarella Toasts
Categories: Soups, Breads, Vegetables, Chilies, Beans
     Yield: 6-8 servings

MMMMM----------------------------SOUP---------------------------------
   1/4 c  Olive oil; more for
          - drizzling
     1 lg Onion; fine chopped
          Salt & black pepper
     1 lg Leek; trimmed, white/lt
          - green parts sliced
     3    Celery ribs; fine chopped
     1 sm Fennel bulb; bulb cored,
          - fine chopped, fronds
          - reserved
    14 cl Garlic; smashed, rough
          - chopped
     2    Dried bay leaves
     1 ts Red-pepper flakes; more for
          - serving
     1 c  Dry white wine
     5 c  Chicken stock
 1 1/2 c  Dried white beans
    15 oz Can crushed tomatoes
     3    Fresh thyme sprig
          +=OR=+
     1 ts Dried thyme
     1    Fresh rosemary sprig
          +=OR=+
   1/2 ts Dried rosemary
     2 tb Fresh lemon juice
     1 bn Kale, chard or collards;
          - stemmed, fine chopped
          +=OR=+
    10 oz Bag frozen chopped spinach
          - or kale
     2 ts Balsamic vinegar

MMMMM---------------------------TOASTS--------------------------------
     8 sl (thick) crusty bread
     1 cl Garlic; halved
          Olive oil
     8 oz Mozzarella; in 8 (1/4"
          - thick) slices

 Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over
 medium. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook,
 stirring occasionally, until limp and translucent, 6 to
 8 minutes. Add the leek, celery and fennel, season with
 salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened
 and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Add the chopped garlic,
 bay leaves, red-pepper flakes and white wine; season
 generously with black pepper. Stir well and let the wine
 come to a simmer before turning off the heat.

 Scrape the mixture into a 6 to 8 quart slow cooker. Add
 the stock, beans, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and lemon
 juice. Cook until the beans are tender and creamy, about
 6 hours on high or 12 hours on low.

 Before serving, remove and discard the bay leaves and
 herb sprigs. Switch the slow cooker to high (if it's not
 already), and stir in the greens and vinegar.

 Let the greens cook while you make the toasts: Turn on
 your broiler. Rub the bread slices with the halved
 garlic and drizzle them with olive oil. Position a rack
 6" from the broiler, then toast sliced bread under the
 broiler until very light golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1
 slice of mozzarella to each toast and broil until
 softened and browned in spots. Taste the soup and season
 to taste with salt and pepper.

 Divide the soup among bowls and add a mozzarella toast
 to each bowl. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds,
 and additional black pepper or red-pepper flakes, if
 desired.

 Recipe by Sarah Digregorio

 RECIPE FROM: https://cooking.nytimes.com

 Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives

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