Ribollita Tuscan Bread Soup
A thick, deeply flavorful Tuscan peasant stew of cannellini beans, lacinato kale, and stale bread slowly simmered until hearty and rich. Plan ahead: it's best the next day re-boiled, as the name promises.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 4 cloves garlic cloves, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary sprig (or 1/2 tsp dried)
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
- 2 cans cannellini beans (15 oz cans), drained and rinsed, drained, rinsed
- 8 cups lacinato (Tuscan) kale or curly kale, stems removed, chopped
- 2 cups savoy or green cabbage, thinly sliced
- 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 6 oz stale crusty bread (Tuscan or sourdough), torn, torn into chunks
- 1.5 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1/4 tsp red chili flakes
Instructions
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1
Heat 3 tablespoons of 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add 1 diced yellow onion, 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery stalks, and 1/4 tsp red chili flakes. Cook, stirring, for 10 minutes until very soft.
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2
Add 4 cloves minced garlic cloves, 2 sprigs fresh rosemary sprig (or 1/2 tsp dried), and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes. Crush 1 can whole peeled tomatoes into the pot with your hands and add all juices. Simmer 5 minutes.
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3
Stir in 2 cans drained, rinsed cannellini beans (15 oz cans), drained and rinsed. Scoop out about one cup of beans, mash with a fork, then return the mash to the pot to create body.
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4
Add 6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, 8 cups stems removed, chopped lacinato (Tuscan) kale or curly kale, and 2 cups thinly sliced savoy or green cabbage. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes until vegetables are completely tender.
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5
Add 6 oz torn into chunks stale crusty bread (Tuscan or sourdough), torn to the pot, stirring them in. The bread will dissolve and thicken the soup. Simmer 10 more minutes, stirring often.
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6
Season with 1.5 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Remove rosemary sprigs. Serve in deep bowls with a generous drizzle of olive oil. The soup is even better reheated the next day.