A simple and comforting dish using pantry ingredients. Serve piping hot with crusty garlic bread or toasted sourdough bread and butter.
Heat olive oil in a soup pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until starting to become and fragrant, about 5-10 minutes.
Add more olive oil if the bottom of the pan looks too dry. Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and pepper flakes. Stir and let cook another minute or two until the tomato paste starts to fry and caramelize a little, scraping the bottom. periodically so it dosn't stick and burn.
Drain and rinse cannelini beans and add to pot along with bay leaves, cherry tomatoes, spinach, chicken broth, and wine. Add Parmesan cheese rind, if you have one and are using.
Cook 30-45 minutes or until vegetables are soft, stirring periodically and adding more chicken broth or wine if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
You can use fresh or frozen spinach in this recipe. If using fresh, wait until the last 15 minutes of cooking before adding it.