Baked cabbage soup

INSPIRED BY A RECIPE FOUND IN THE MAGAZINE OF La CUCINA ITALIANA: a simple and very satisfying winter soup to serve with sandwiches.

Slice 8 ounces of center-cut bacon into 1/2 inched pieces. In a Dutch oven (might I add how deeply in love I am with my Emeril Lagasse Dutch oven, which I found for a steal at T J Maxx?), saute bacon over medium heat until somewhat crisp. While bacon cooks, remove core and outer leafs from a large head of cabbage. Cut into slices about 1/2 inch thick and a few inches long. When the bacon is done, add the cabbage and cook, stirring frequently, until wilted.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast 4 slices of hearty bread, and heat to boiling about 10 cups of good quality chicken broth. When cabbage is quite wilted and cooked down, add the chicken broth and stir well. Top the soup with the bread. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven. Stir the bread into the soup to thicken it. Top with 8 ounces of cheese: shredded or sliced fontina or mozzarella would work well. Return to oven and bake until browned and bubbly. Serve immediately.

The original recipe calls for a little pancetta, and placing the bread at the bottom of the Dutch oven before adding back the remaining ingredients, and no mixing before topping with cheese. But certainly there's lots of room for variation. Next time I will try adding the cheese directly to the softened slices before returning the pot to the oven to brown.