Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, split in half and rinsed well under

running water, thinly sliced

1 large onion, chopped, about 1 ½ cups

2 large carrots, roughly chopped

2 large celery ribs, roughly chopped

1 medium zucchini, cubed, about 1 ¼ cups

1 medium yellow squash, cubed, about 1 ¼ cups

10 cups vegetable stock

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped

2 Parmesan cheese rinds, about 5 by 2-inches

1 teaspoon dried basil or oregano leaves

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and cubed (6 ounces or 1 ¼cups cubed)

2 cups packed fresh chopped kale leaves, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

¼ cup small, dried pasta such as ditalini

½ cup Great Northern beans, soaked overnight or 1 (15-ounce) can white

beans, drained and rinsed

Garlic loaf for serving if desired, recipe follows

Preparation

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leek, onions, carrots, and celery and sauté until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the zucchini and yellow squash and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, cheese rinds, basil or oregano, crushed red pepper, potatoes and kale. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pasta and beans and simmer for a final 15 minutes.

Remove the cheese rind with a slotted spoon and serve with slice of Garlic Loaf.