Thick Italian soup "Ribollita"

Ingredients:

• 3 medium carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 1/4 small head of young cabbage, cut into strips (about 3 cups)
• 120 g pancetta or dry-cured bacon, diced
• 1 cup dried white cannellini beans, sorted and rinsed
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus a 2-inch piece of rind
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 5 slices of white crispy bread
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 3 tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced

Preparation:

1. Combine carrots, celery, cabbage, pancetta, beans, and tomato paste in a slow cooker or a 5-6-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the Parmesan rind, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and 7 cups water. Cover and cook over low heat for 7-8 hours. Set aside 1 slice of bread at room temperature to dry out slightly.
2. Ten minutes before the end of cooking, add the stale bread to the pan. Stir, then add the grated Parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the remaining 4 slices of bread on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden brown, 1-2 minutes per side. Place the bread slices in bowls.
4. Sauté the garlic in a preheated skillet with 3 tablespoons of olive oil for 3 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic and oil to the soup and stir. Pour the soup into bowls with bread.