Crispy Ricotta Bread with Hearty Vegetable Soup: A Great Lunch

This thick vegetable soup, topped with crispy ricotta-covered bread, is a perfect lunch that is both **tasty and healthy**. Easy to make, the combination of aromatic herbs and fresh vegetables creates a consoling and satisfying meal, ideal for a filling lunch or a quick weeknight supper.

🛒 Ingredients

For the Soup:

• One **onion**, sliced
• **Olive oil**
• Two **celery sticks**, diced
• One **carrot**, chopped
• Two **bell peppers**, chopped
• Three **garlic cloves**, minced
• Salt and **black pepper**
• **Oregano**
• Three **potatoes**, sliced
• **Vegetable stock** (enough to cover veggies)
• Fifty grams of **pasta** (small shapes recommended)
• **Fresh parsley**, chopped

For the Ricotta Bread:

• Three **sliced bread pieces**
• **Olive oil**
• **Salt and Oregano** (for toasting)
• One spoonful **ricotta cheese**
• One clove of **minced garlic**
• Fresh **dill**, chopped
• **Onion**, chopped (a small amount)
• Two teaspoons **olive oil** (for ricotta mix)

🔪 Instructions

Regarding the Soup:

1. On a saucepan set on medium heat, warm olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook until it turns **transparent**.
2. Include minced garlic, diced celery, carrot, and bell peppers. Season with oregano, black pepper, and salt. Stir well.
3. Simmer for **five to eight minutes** covered with a lid.
4. Add the **chopped potatoes** and ladle enough **vegetable stock** to cover the vegetables. Cook for **fifteen minutes** covered with a lid.
5. Add **chopped parsley and pasta**. Cook for another **five minutes** until the pasta becomes tender. The soup is ready.

Regarding the Bread:

7. **Preheat** the oven to **180°C (350°F)**.
8. Arrange the bread slices on a baking pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano and salt.
9. Bake for **ten minutes** to achieve crispy, golden-brown bread.
10. Combine the **ricotta cheese, minced garlic, chopped dill, chopped onion, and two tablespoons olive oil** in a blender or food processor. Grind until **smooth**.
11. Top the toasted bread with the ricotta mixture. The bread is ready now.

💡 Cookery Advice & Benefits

Cookery Advice

• Make your vegetable stock from scratch for **extra taste**.
• Adjust the seasoning to taste; feel free to add other herbs such as **thyme or rosemary**.
• To improve the soup’s visual appeal, use some **vibrantly colored bell peppers**.
• If you would like a faster approach, toast the bread in a pan instead of the oven.

Nutrition & Dietary Benefits

• This meal is high in **minerals and vitamins** from the range of veggies utilized.
• A great source of **fiber**, the soup helps digestion.
• Ricotta cheese provides **calcium and protein**, making the bread tasty and healthy.
• **Vegan Option:** Use a plant-based substitute for the ricotta cheese.
• **Gluten-Free Option:** Use gluten-free spaghetti and bread.

Storage

• Refrigerated in an airtight container, the soup keeps for up to **three days**.
• Though it tastes best fresh, bread may keep for up to **two days** in an airtight container. Reheat using an oven or toaster.

For a meal that is both healthy and gratifying, savor this wonderful and fragrant vegetable soup with bread coated with crispy ricotta. Bon appétit!