8 oz. dried cannellini beans
1 slice prosciutto (3 oz.) or 1 oz. salt pork plus 2 oz. boiled ham
1 lg. onion (red)
1 celery stalk
2 lg. cloves garlic
1 carrot
7 o 8 sprigs Italian parsley
6 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 sm. head savory cabbage
1 1/2 bunches kale
1 potato
1 c. canned tomatoes
1 sm. bunch Swiss chard
12 lg. thick slices Tuscan bread (several days old or 9 to 12 tbsp. homemade
croutons)
Salt and fresh pepper to taste
6 to 8 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Soak the beans overnight in cold water. Next day, drain the beans and cook them in a large flame-proof casserole with 2 quarts of salted water and the prosciutto or salt pork and ham. As the beans absorb the water, keep adding enough water to maintain 2 quarts of liquid at the end of cooking time.

When beans are tender (about 1 hour), remove from the flame and let stand until needed. Coarsely chop the onion, celery, garlic, carrot, and parsley; saute them in a stockpot with the oil for 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, finely slice cabbage; remove the stems from the kale and cut into small pieces; peel the potato and cut it into small squares. When the onions, etc. are light brown, add the potato to the stockpot along with the tomatoes.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then add the Swiss chard, stems removed and cut up. Remove the prosciutto from the bean casserole. Pass 2/3 of the beans through a food mill into the stockpot. Simmer together for about 1/2 hour more until cabbage and kale are almost cooked. Drain the remaining beans, reserving the broth and return them to the original casserole. Add the bean broth to the stockpot, little by little, whenever more liquid is need, until all is used. When the cabbage and kale are ready, all the remaining beans whole.

Taste for salt and pepper, then cook for 5 minutes more. If using bread, make a layer of bread slices on the bottom of a tureen and pour over two full ladles of soup; make other layers of bread, each time pouring the soup over until all the bread is used. Pour the remaining soup on the top; cover the mixture and let stand for 20 minutes before serving with a tablespoon of grated cheese. Sprinkle over each portion. If you use croutons instead of bread slices, place 1 1/2 tablespoons of croutons in each individual soup bowl. Allow the soup to stand for 20 minutes after cooking, then pour over the croutons. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.