Description
Hearty ribollita, a rustic Tuscan soup, combines rich vegetables, beans, and bread in a comforting Italian classic. Generous portions and simple ingredients make this soup a satisfying meal you’ll savor slowly.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¼ lb pancetta or smoked bacon, large diced
- ½ lb dried white beans, Great Northern or cannellini
- 6 cups chicken stock, homemade preferred
- 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
- 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
- 1 ½ cups chopped carrots (3 medium carrots)
- 4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage, optional
- 1 (28-oz) can Italian plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
- 4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
- ¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
- 3 tbsps minced garlic (6 cloves)
- 1 cup chopped celery (2–3 stalks)
- ½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Bean Preparation: Soak dried beans overnight in cold water, covering by 1 inch. Drain and transfer to a large pot, covering with fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add salt, continue cooking for 15 minutes until beans are tender. Cool beans in their cooking liquid.
- Flavor Foundation: In a stockpot, heat oil over medium-low heat. Sauté pancetta and onions until onions become translucent. Add carrots, celery, garlic, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetables soften and develop deep flavors.
- Vegetable Integration: Incorporate whole tomatoes, cabbage, kale, and basil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, to blend ingredients’ essence and create a robust flavor profile.
- Bean Transformation: Strain beans, reserving cooking liquid. Puree half the beans with some liquid using a food processor. Combine pureed and whole beans in the stockpot. Add reserved bean liquid and chicken stock to achieve desired consistency. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Final Assembly: Tear bread into chunks and fold into the soup. Simmer for 10 minutes, allowing bread to absorb liquid and thicken the soup. Season to taste. Serve hot, crowned with grated Parmesan cheese and a luxurious drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Notes
- Soak Beans Thoroughly: Refrigerate dried beans overnight in cold water to ensure proper hydration and optimal texture, which helps soften beans and reduce cooking time.
- Patient Cooking Process: Allow beans to simmer gently and slowly to develop rich, deep flavors and achieve perfect tenderness without breaking down their structure.
- Layering Flavors Strategically: Sauté vegetables and pancetta first to create a robust flavor foundation before adding tomatoes, cabbage, and kale for complex taste profile.
- Bread Absorption Technique: Tear bread into chunks instead of cutting to help it absorb soup liquid more effectively, creating a rustic, authentic texture that defines traditional Ribollita.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 10 g
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 5 mg