Tuscan Bread Soup

This recipe began in Italy. We were in some teeny, tiny town in wine country and Tuscan bread soup was on the menu.

Then, my friend Nat Slavin sent me his recipe with a note that said, during the winter, he always has a pot of it in his fridge.

This is a combination of both recipes, with my own little additions.

Ingredients
2 T olive oil
2 T butter
4 cloves of garlic, peeled
1/2 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 14-oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
6 C vegetable broth
2 Parmesan heels (Whole Foods has them in their cheese department)
1/2 loaf cibatta bread, cut into squares
2 T herbs de Provence
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

In a large stock pot, melt the butter and warm up the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and cook until softened, three to four minutes. Add the celery and carrots and cook another four minutes. Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, Parmesan heels, herbs de Provence, salt (just a pinch), and pepper (about 1 teaspoon). Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer for an hour. Add the cibatta.

It's actually better if you let it sit, untouched and in the stock pan, in the fridge overnight. But it can be served immediately. It makes excellent leftovers.