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Tuscan Ribollita Soup Finished In Bowl.

Authentic Tuscan Ribollita Soup

Michele
Authentic Ribollita Soup is a hearty, rustic soup abundant with nutritious vegetables and beans and thickened with day-old bread. Hailing from the Tuscany region in Italy, this recipe has its origins in the Middle Ages and screams comfort food through and through. Perfect for both cooler weather and all year round! It will fill not only your belly, but your soul as well.
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup small diced yellow onions
  • 1 cup small diced celery
  • 1 cup small diced carrots
  • 1 cup small diced fennel
  • 2 Tbsp chopped garlic
  • ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
  • 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes, hand-crushed
  • 1 cup bean cooking liquid (or additional broth)
  • ¾ pound Yukon gold or russet potatoes cut into ½-inch pieces, held in cold water to prevent browning
  • 2 rosemary sprigs
  • 1 parmigiano or pecorino cheese rind
  • 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • ¾ pound chopped lacinato kale leaves stems removed (about 12 cups)
  • 2 cups cooked cannellini beans (about 12 ounces dried beans, if using)
  • 8-10 thick slices day-old Italian or French bread (about ¾ to 1 pound)
  • High quality, extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
  • Grated parmigiano or pecorino cheese, for serving

Instructions
 

  • Prep all ingredients according to specifications above.
  • Heat oil in a 6-quart (or larger) pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, fennel, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for about six minutes, or until vegetables have softened a bit, stirring occasionally.
  • Add 2 cups broth and stir to deglaze, loosening and scraping up any browned bits on bottom of pot. Then, add remaining broth, tomatoes, bean cooking liquid, potatoes (drain first if being held in water), rosemary sprigs, cheese rind, salt and black pepper and stir until all ingredients are well-combined.
  • Cover pot, increase heat and bring mixture to a boil. Then, immediately reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Stir in kale and continue to cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 to 20 more minutes. The soup should be rather thick; add more broth if needed. Stir in beans about 5 minutes before the soup is done. Remove the rosemary stems and what’s left of the parm rind, then taste and adjust seasonings and turn off heat.
  • Arrange a layer of bread in a large glass or stainless-steel bowl, then ladle some soup over the bread. Repeat this layering of bread and soup until all the bread and soup are used up, finishing with a layer of soup. Press the bread down to ensure that it is all immersed in the soup. Let this cool for about 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate overnight (or a minimum of 4 hours).
  • The following day, serve the ribollita. In can be reheated in one of two ways. The first and my favorite way is to heat some olive oil in a skillet, then add some now very thick, stew-like soup to it and heat until an irresistible, thin crust forms. The second way is to heat the ribollita in a pot in a more traditional way, with a bit more liquid (broth or water) added. With either reheating method, some high-quality extra-virgin olive oil should be drizzled over each serving with a sprinkling of either parmigiano or pecorino cheese for an additional hit of flavor and richness.
  • ALTERNATIVE (QUICKER) METHOD: Slice the bread slices into cubes, then fold bread cubes into the soup about 5 minutes after the addition of the beans. Continue to simmer the soup for about 5 to 10 more minutes while stirring. The bread will break apart and further thicken the soup. Then, ladle the soup into bowls, topping each portion with a generous drizzle of high-quality, extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of either parmigiano or pecorino cheese. Buon Appetito!

Notes

  • This recipe can easily be cut in half to yield a smaller amount.
  • To save time when cooking, prep the vegetables in advance and store them in a zip-lock bag in the refrigerator for up to one day.
  • You can substitute the fennel with additional celery and half the kale with cabbage, if desired. Also, whole canned tomatoes can be substituted with canned diced tomatoes.
  • If you use canned beans to make this dish, the only wild card is to whether or not to use the starchy liquid that comes with the canned beans. This is a personal choice, but here is my advice: if you buy no- or low-sodium high quality (preferably organic) canned beans, then it is probably okay to use the bean liquid. Otherwise, you may end up with an overly salty, briny and strange tasting liquid in your dish. If you choose not to use the canned bean liquid and have homemade chicken stock available, the collagen in the stock will create texture in the final dish. Otherwise, just use some vegetable or chicken broth in place of the bean liquid in this recipe.
  • Due to the addition of bread, this soup does not actually freeze well. However, if you decide to forego the bread, this soup will freeze beautifully in an airtight container for up to two months.
  • Don't forget to drizzle the finished dish with some high quality extra-virgin olive oil and grated parmigiano or pecorino cheese for an additional hit of flavor and richness.
Recipe by Mangia With Michele. Please visit my site for more great cooking inspiration!
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