Reheated Minestra With Olive Oil And Stale Bread

• For the minestra:
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 20 ounces water, or more if necessary
• 4 cloves of fresh garlic, slightly crushed
• 1 large (or 2 small) Savoy cabbage, cut into chunks
• 1 large bunch of dandelion, washed and cut in half
• 1 small- or medium-sized fennel bulb, washed and cut into pieces
• 1 bunch of spinach, washed and cut in half
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, or more as needed to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
• 12 ounces cooked cannellini or borlotti beans
• For the reheated minestra with olive oil and stale bread:
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 cups leftover minestra
• 1 1/2 cups stale, crusty Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces (measurement isn't important, just add more or less bread to your liking)

1. Place oil, water, and garlic in a very large pot; heat over medium-high heat, then add the chopped Savoy cabbage, stir and cover with the lid. Let cook for another 5 minutes, then stir once more. Now add the dandelion greens and fennel, and continue to cook over medium heat, covered, stirring now and then, for about 10 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and the fennel seeds. Check to make sure the liquid has not dried up, if so, add more water. After you add the spinach, cook for another 5 minutes or so.
2. Now add the beans and mix well into the minestra. Taste for salt and pepper, and continue to cook for just a few minutes until the beans are heated through. Serve with fresh crusty bread and slices of fresh, sweet onion.
3. In a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, put about 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil, add the minestra and the torn pieces of bread, and drizzle about 1 or 2 more tablespoons of olive oil on top. Cook, stirring frequently, until the bread has absorbed the liquid and softened, and everything is heated through. Serve hot, with slices of sweet onion, if desired.

extravirgin olive oil, water, garlic, savoy cabbage, dandelion, fennel, kosher, freshly ground black pepper, fennel seeds, borlotti beans, olive oil, extravirgin olive oil, stale

Taken from food52.com/recipes/19712-reheated-minestra-with-olive-oil-and-stale-bread (may not work)