whisked back to a plaza in siena

All it took was a bowl of ribollito to travel back to that sunlit place from 2012.

All it took was a can of my favorite soup, that Chicken with Orzo and Lemon, to start.

I've been a little low on protein today, so I threw in a can of chicken breast, drained to remove the excess salt.

But first, I sauted 3 ounces of chopped carrots  in the bottom of the pot, with a little olive oil, to get them warm and softened.

(I cheat and use the bagged carrot coins, already chopped.

About 35 of them, in a variety of sizes, is equivalent to 3 ounces.)

Then I added the can of soup, half a can of water, and 2 cups of frozen spinach.

Bring all to a boil and add about a tablespoon of Mrs. Dash Lemon Pepper.

Then reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer about ten minutes.

Turn off the heat and remove cover.

After that, I added the large dinner roll from last night's WNS, torn into roughly one- to two-inch cubes; stir, cover again, and allow to sit about five minutes.

Oh, so good!

And so nice to have those memories of sitting on that plaza, eating this soup for the first time on our last night in Siena...