The Ribollita Cure

Someone was feeling a little under the weather yesterday, so the doctor ordered SOUP! I fished around for some delicious, healthy, vegetable-filled recipes and then remembered a recipe Katie had sent me years ago - Ribollita. She continues to taunt me every time she brings it in to work, so it was about time that I gave it a stab myself. (Carol, for the record, it's a Giada recipe!)

Surprisingly, I had a lot of the ingredients at home already, so I just had to pick up a few remaining items. I made several modifications (as noted below), but it turned out great! I like to think that it's the reason a certain someone feels better today. Have you heard of the Ribollita Cure?!

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (I added another because why not?)
4 ounces pancetta, chopped (I used diced prosciutto)
2 cloves garlic, 1 minced and 1 whole
1 teaspoon salt (didn't add)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste (used 1.5 TB - I didn't want to waste it!)
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 pound frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (I forgot to thaw, so I threw it in frozen)
1 (15-ounce) can cannelloni beans, drained
1 tablespoon herbs de Provence (used Italian Spice blend instead)
3 cups chicken stock (closer to 4 cups made it soupier/allows for even more leftovers!)
1 bay leaf (didn't add)
1 (3-inch) piece Parmesan rind (didn't add)
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.