This is my take on ribollita, a traditional Italian vegetable soup served with chunks of crusty bread. In my recipe, I substitute farro (a grain similar to barley) or forgo the grain altogether. It is is made with a bunch of different kinds of root vegetables along with butternut squash, which makes it slightly sweet and really delicious.

You can peel the butternut squash with a vegetable peeler (no need to risk your fingers with a knife), or buy pre-cut from the freezer section of your grocery store. The parmesan rind is what’s leftover once you’ve grated away all the cheese, and you can buy them at italian grocery stores and Whole Foods. If you can’t find one or want to make this vegan, don’t worry! Your soup will still be yummy!

Serves 4 to 6

WHAT YOU NEED:

Olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 fennel bulb, diced

Salt

2 pounds root vegetables (a mix of carrots, parsnips and turnips or whatever’s in season), peeled and diced

1 small butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeds scooped out and discarded, and diced (or 1 package cubed squash)

3 garlic cloves, grated on a fine microplane or minced

3 tablespoons double concentrated tomato paste from a tube (or 6 tablespoons regular canned tomato paste)

½ head green cabbage (preferably Savoy cabbage but any green cabbage will do), cored and cut into 1- to 2-inch cubes

1 bunch black kale, leaves ripped from ribs and torn into bite-sized pieces (ribs discarded)

1 Parmesan rind (optional)

1 (28-ounce) can crushed peeled tomatoes

Grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup farro, rinsed and cooked, or 2 cups stale bread cubes (both are optional)

WHAT TO DO:

Pour enough oil in a Dutch oven or large saucepan to coat the bottom and heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and fennel, season with 1 teaspoon of salt, and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are very tender, stirring often so they don’t brown. (Lower the heat if they start to brown.) Add the carrot, parsnip, turnip, and squash drizzle with a glug of olive oil, season with 1 teaspoon of the remaining salt and sauté for about 2 minutes to begin to soften the veggies.

Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until it’s fragrant but not browning. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute to caramelize it a bit. Add the kale, cabbage and Parmesan rind if you’re using it. Dump in tomatoes. Add 2 cups of water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer until the root veggies and squash are tender and the kale has wilted, 15 to 20 minutes, adding more water to make sure there is lots of soupy broth around the veggies. Remove the Parmesan rind..

Serve the soup topped with the cooked farro, bread or plain. Add grated Parmesan on top if you are so inclined.