Baked Tuscan Vegetable And Bread Soup - cooking recipe

Ingredients

5 cups chicken stock
1 lb skinless chicken breast
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, diced
1 sweet green pepper, diced
2 cups chopped green cabbage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 (19 ounce) can tomatoes, coarsely chopped (undrained)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (10 ounce) package fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
1 (19 ounce) can white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
8 slices Italian bread or 8 slices French bread, thick slices, stale is better 2-3 days old
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

In large saucepan, bring chicken stock, chicken breasts and bay leaves to boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove chicken and discard bones; dice meat and set aside. Discard by leaves. Keep stock warm.
Meanwhile, in large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium heat; cook onion, garlic, carrots and celery for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining oil, green pepper, cabbage, thyme and rosemary; cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.
Add vegetable mixture to stock in sauce pan along with tomatoes and pepper; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add spinach, parsley, zucchini, kidney beans and reserved diced chicken; cook for 5 minutes. Remove 1 cup (250 ml) of the soup and set aside.
Ladle half of the remaining soup into 24-cup (6L) Dutch oven or casserole; cover with four of the bread slices and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese. Cover with remaining soup; layer with remaining bread. Drizzle reserved soup over top; sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese. (Recipe can be prepared to this point, cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.).
Bake, covered in 350\u00b0F oven for 20 minutes (45 minutes if refrigerated); uncover and bake for 20 minutes longer (45 minutes if refrigerated) or until hot.
Serve soup in large warmed bowls. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, if desired.