Ferrara's Soup of the Monestery

We decided to try another soup recipe from the book The Splendid Table.

Ferrara is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy.

There were some naughty Capuchin Friars in Ferrara who made a particularly tasty soup.

Ferrara's Soup of the Monestery

1 1/2 T olive oil
1 ounce minced pancetta (substitute bacon)
1 large onion, diced
1 cauliflower, cored and cut into bite sized pieces
3 T minced Italian parsley
1/2 t dried sage
1 t dried rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups drained canned tomatoes, cut up
salt and pepper to taste
8 cups chicken broth
t T red wine vinegar

Garnish
2 T minced Italian parsley
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t dried rosemary leaves

Heat olive oil in a pot. Cook the pancetta until it is golden. Remove and reserve the pancetta. Add the onion, cauliflower, parsley and herbs. Cook, stirring, 8 to 10 minutes until onion is golden brown. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes, simmer 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and simmer 15 minutes. To serve, pour into a big serving bowl and sprinkle with vinegar, garnish ingredients and the reserved pancetta.
This soup makes a great dipper for leftover crusts from pizza (see below).
While I was making the soup our little one decided that all the animals needed to go swimming - in toilet paper swimsuits!