Hearty Tuscan Bean Stew

This recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated magazine’s All-Time Best Recipes issue. I modified a couple of things as noted. It is delicious. If you have never checked out Cook’s Illustrated magazine, I highly recommend it. They discuss the scientific reasons for cooking technique and also use feedback from taste testers.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons salt plus 4 quarts water for soaking the beans
1 lb (2 1/2 cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed. (I used Great Northern beans because they were a lot less expensive.)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
6 ounces pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I used thick cut, nitrite free uncured bacon because that is what I had on hand.)
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 celery ribs, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I omitted the celery because I don’t like it. I substituted 1/2 inch pieces of chard stem.)
8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I think there is a scientific reason for using the low sodium broth because it is supposed to make the interior of the beans creamier if they are not cooked in a lot of sodium.)
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 pound kale or collard greens, stemmed and leaves chopped into 1 inch pieces. (I used chard and separated the stems, treating them like celery.)
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, drained.
1 sprig fresh rosemary
8 slices country white bread (I substituted home-made gluten free bread, natch), 1 1/4 inches thick, broiled until golden brown on both sides.

Directions

1. Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt into 4 quarts water in large container or bowl. Add beans and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. (The salt is added to the soaking water for scientific reasons to keep the bean skins tender.)
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle shelf and preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat oil and pancetta in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta is lightly browned and fat has rendered, 6 to 10 minutes. Add onion, carrots, and celery (or chard stem pieces) and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and lightly browned, about 10-16 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, bay leaves, and soaked beans. Increase heat to high and bring to simmer. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are almost tender (very center of beans will still be firm), 45 minutes to 1 hour.
3. Remove pot from oven and stir in kale and tomatoes. Return to oven and cook until beans are greens are fully tender, 30 to 40 minutes longer.
4. Remove pot from oven and submerge rosemary in stew. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaves an rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over toasted bread, if desired, and drizzle with olive oil.