Best Ribollita Italian Vegetablebean Soup Recipes

RIBOLLITA (HEARTY TUSCAN BEAN, BREAD, AND VEGETABLE STEW) RECIPE

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat with garlic. Cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant and very lightly golden. Add onion, leek, carrots, squash, turnip, and celery and cook, stirring, until slightly softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add enough water to slightly cover vegetables (about 6 cups; 1.5L) along with kale and bouquet garnis and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Lower heat to maintain simmer and cook until vegetables are very tender, about 25 minutes.
• Stir in beans and their cooking liquid (or 1 cup water if using canned beans). Add bread, stir well, and simmer until bread is very soft and breaking down, about 15 minutes. Add water, 1/2 cup at a time, if soup becomes too thick and dry.
• Season with salt and pepper. The soup can be served at varying consistencies: more wet and broth-y, like a thick, chunky soup, or cooked down until thickened like a porridge. Once reduced to a thick porridge, you can ladle some of it into a small (8-inch) nonstick skillet with 1 tablespoon oil and cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until it coalesces into a dense mass; it will eventually take the shape of a pancake. (If your flipping skills are good, you can flip it to serve it browned side up.) Slide it onto a plate. To serve at any consistency, drizzle with fresh olive oil and top with freshly ground black pepper and grated cheese (optional).

RIBOLLITA (VEGETABLE, BEAN AND STALE BREAD SOUP)

Steps:

• Variations: For a sweeter soup, add chopped fennel to your mix. For autumn, add zucchini or butternut squash to your blend.
• Drain the beans and place in a pot with 4 cups chicken stock, 1 clove garlic, half an onion and some salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread until deeply golden and toasted. Store in foil.
• Heat 1/4 cup EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, remaining 3 cloves garlic, chile flakes, bay leaf and herb bundle. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, kale, cabbage and a little nutmeg. Stir. Wilt the greens, partially covered, 5 to 6 minutes more. Add the beans and their liquids and the tomato puree. Stir. Add 2 cups more stock (reserve 2 cups for the night you serve). Add the cheese rind to the soup. Simmer to combine flavors, 15 minutes. Remove 3 cups of the beans and vegetables, about half the soup, to food processor and puree. Then add back to pot. Cool and store the soup for a make-ahead meal.
• To serve, heat the soup over medium heat, add the bread to the soup and let it absorb the liquid. Thin the soup with the remaining 2 cups of stock. Taste to adjust seasoning. Remove the herb bundle, rind and bay leaf. The ribollita is done when a wooden spoon can stand straight up in the soup. Ladle into shallow bowls and garnish with a generous drizzle of EVOO, finely chopped raw onion and cheese. Leftover soup can be fried in olive oil in a skillet like potato pancakes or hash, and topped with over easy or fried eggs.

TUSCAN BREAD AND VEGETABLE SOUP (RIBOLLITA)

Steps:

• Prepare the broth, if necessary.
• Then, pour the olive oil in a large pot.
• Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and herbs.
• Cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until the celery and other aromatics are tender and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook 10 minutes.
• Stir in the beans, remaining vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the broth and water to just cover.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Cook gently, over very low heat, until the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours.
• Let cool slightly.
• When ready to serve, pour about 4 cups of the soup into a blender or food processor.
• Puree the soup, then transfer it to a pot along with the remaining soup; reheat gently.
• Choose a soup tureen or pot large enough to hold the bread and soup.
• Place a layer of bread slices on the bottom.
• Spoon on enough of the soup to cover the bread completely.
• Repeat layering until all the soup is used and the bread is soaked.
• Let stand at least 20 minutes; it should be very thick.
• Stir the soup to break up the bread.
• Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the red onion.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.