Ribollita
This is a dish of necessity, born from the need to stretch leftover soup and harden crusts into a hearty final meal. The texture should sit somewhere between a soup and a porridge, where the bread loses its identity and binds the broth into a heavy, unified whole.
Commit to the bread and the dark greens.
Use a dense, saltless Tuscan-style loaf that is at least two days old. If you use soft grocery store bread, it will dissolve into mush rather than providing the necessary structure.
- Heavy-bottomed Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon
- Chef's knife
- Immersion blender or potato masher
What goes in.
- 2 cupsdried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and boiled until tender
- 1 bunchcavolo nero (Tuscan kale), ribs removed and leaves torn
- 1/2 loafstale country bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 2yellow onions, diced
- 3carrots, diced
- 2stalks celery, diced
- 1can (14 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1/4 cupextra virgin olive oil
- To tasteSea salt and cracked black pepper
Blending the Beans
After simmering the base, take a cup of the beans and some broth out to mash or blend into a paste. Stirring this back into the pot provides a creamy foundation that allows the bread to cling to the vegetables rather than floating in thin water.
The method.
Sauté the aromatics
Heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until the onions are soft and beginning to turn gold, about 10 minutes.
Build the base
Add the crushed tomatoes and the cavolo nero to the pot. Stir until the greens have wilted significantly. Pour in enough water or bean-cooking liquid to cover the vegetables by two inches.
Simmer
Add the cooked beans. Simmer for 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the bean paste you created to thicken the liquid.
Add the bread
Turn off the heat and fold in the torn bread. Cover the pot and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. The bread needs this time to hydrate fully.
The second boil
Return the pot to the stove over low heat. Stir vigorously to break up the bread chunks and achieve a thick, porridge-like consistency. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of raw olive oil.
Other turns to take.
Swiss Chard swap
If cavolo nero is unavailable, use Swiss chard, keeping the tender stems and finely chopping them to add to the initial sauté.
Pancetta base
Render a few ounces of diced pancetta or guanciale at the very start to add depth to the vegetable base.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Ribollita is famously better the next day; if you have the patience, let the pot cool completely and reheat it the following morning.
Do not use bread that contains soft crusts or preservatives, as it will break down into a sticky paste.
The soup should be very thick; if it becomes too stiff when reheating, add a splash of water, but don't overdo it.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use canned beans instead of dried?
Yes, just ensure they are well-rinsed and you include some of their liquid in the pot to contribute to the thickness.
What is the point of the 'second boil'?
The second boil (the name means 'reboiled') allows the starches in the bread to release into the broth, thickening the entire mixture into a cohesive, hearty meal.
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