Ribollita is a hearty, comforting soup that is very traditional and popular throughout Tuscany, and particularly in Florence. It's essentially another way to use up stale Tuscan bread (since Tuscan bread is made without salt, it hardens quite quickly). It's made with an assortment of vegetables, cannellini beans, and Tuscan kale (a.k.a. dinosaur or lacinato kale). The first day it's made, it's more of a soup (called "minestra di pane," or "bread soup"), and then when reheated the next day it becomes ribollita (literally meaning "reboiled"), which is even better!
Ingredients
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1 pound (500 grams) dried white beans, cannellini or Navy beans, washed and soaked for 3 hours
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1 small onion, peeled and chopped
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1 small carrot, peeled and chopped
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1 (6-inch) stalk celery, chopped
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1 small bunch parsley, flat-leaf, chopped
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1/4 cup olive oil
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1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
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1 pound (500 grams) lacinato kale, or Tuscan kale, ribs removed and leaves chopped
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1 pound (500 grams) beet greens, or Swiss chard, ribs removed, leaves chopped
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1/2 pound (250 grams) potatoes, peeled and diced
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Fine sea salt, to taste
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Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
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1 sprig fresh thyme
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1/2 loaf white bread, thinly sliced, day-old crusty Italian bread
Description
Served immediately, this dish is called minestra di pane, or bread soup. However, it improves dramatically with age, so much that when it’s reheated and served the next day it’s called ribollita and is one of the few reasons to get excited about the arrival of winter.
Reheating does require some care lest the minestra di pane burn: You will likely find that it has absorbed liquid as it rested overnight and looks rather dry. Add a little water, enough to moisten it, and reheat it over a gentle flame, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.
When it is bubbling hot, it is ready.
Serve it as a first course, with a cruet of extra
