Photo: Ollie Crafoord/Flickr

Ok, I’ll admit it: there’s something intimidating about a recipe that starts with “Begin the soup 2 days in advance.”

But on cold December days (ignore the 60 degree weather we’re seeing right now), could there be anything more lovely than this Sienese-style ribollita, “a porridge, of bread, vegetables, and beans ” stewed under some perfectly dark and spiraled onions? It’s even vegetarian — rare indeed for an onion soup, but perfectly hearty and rich nonetheless.

It sounds so good it doesn’t deserve to be called healthy — but it’s that, too, especially compared to other comfort food at this time of year.