Ribollita

The name means reboiled, and that is the whole trick: a Tuscan pot of cannellini beans, cavolo nero and vegetables is cooked, layered with stale bread and heated again the next day until the bread melts into something nearly thick enough to cut. Beans and bread together make it far more filling than a vegetable soup has any right to be. It is also the most forgiving soup here for a weekly cook, because it is meant to be made ahead. A slick of good olive oil on top is the only garnish it needs.