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Harvest Season Casserole

Ingredients

  • 2 small zucchinis, thin sliced
  • 2 stalks Swiss chard, chopped, along with stems
  • 6 to 8 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 medium onions, thin sliced
  • 2 medium carrots, thin sliced
  • Top third of 2 celery stalks with leaves, thin sliced
  • 6 large garlic cloves, thin sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 generous tablespoons dried basil
  • 2 generous tablespoons sweet paprika
  • Handful spinach leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 large head green cabbage, chopped; thin-slice the core, too
  • 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, crushed
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) Asiago, Fontinella, or sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other cheese
  • 4 slices whole wheat bread, thick sliced

Prep Time:

20 minutes

Cook Time:

1 hour 30 minutes

Serves:

6

This hearty casserole is a “build on” to our Harvest Season Soup. Just a few added ingredients turns that soup into a satisfying single dish dinner.

Why Try? This is the kind of simple but flavorful dish the whole family will enjoy on a chilly fall or winter evening. Loaded with nutritious vegetables, you’ll feel good about setting it out on the table.

Foodie Byte: If you like this casserole, you’ll no doubt enjoy it in soup form. Try our Harvest Season Soup.

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Preparation

  1. For the soup: Coat the bottom of heavy 6-quart pot with olive oil. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are wilted and aromatic, stirring often.
  2. Uncover, heat to medium high, stir in the tomato paste, basil, and paprika. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add zucchini, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and broth. Bring the soup to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and soup tastes of deep, satisfying flavors. If it tastes weak, uncover and simmer for 5 minutes or more to boil off some of the liquid and concentrate the flavor.
  3. For the casserole: Rub chunks of stale coarse whole-grain bread with garlic. Tear it into bite-size pieces, scatter them in a large, shallow baking dish (about 2-quart capacity), drizzle with a bold-flavored olive oil, and ladle on the soup mixture. The soup should nearly cover the bread; you want 1 part bread to about 3 parts soup.
  4. Tuck big spoonfuls of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or other cheese amid the bread pieces. Cover the casserole and refrigerate overnight.
  5. To serve, bring the casserole to room temperature. Then sprinkle it with more olive oil, salt, pepper, and cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake at 375°F until hot and bubbling, about 40 minutes. Uncover for another 5 minutes to lightly color the top.

Nutritional Information

Calories 488, Carbohydrates 40g, Cholesterol 36mg, Fat 31g, Fat Calories 274, Fiber 9g, Protein 18g, Saturated Fat 9g, Sodium 2007mg. Daily Values: Calcium 304.64mg 30%, Phos 198.44mg 20%, Copper 0.17mg 9%, Zinc 1.76mg 12%, Panto 0.56mg 6%, Biotin 5.83mcg 1943%, Iodine 14.34mcg 10%, Magnesium 56.44mg 14%, Iron 4.41mg 25%, Vitamin B6 18%, Vitamin C 100%, Vitamin B12 9%, Vitamin D 2%, Vit E-a-Toco 15%, Vitamin A 145%. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.