Italian soup ribolita
4 servings
95 minutes
Ribollita is a soulful dish of Tuscan cuisine that impresses with its simplicity and rich flavor. Its roots lie in rural traditions where soup was made from available ingredients including stale bread, vegetables, and beans. The creamy texture of the beans combines with the sweet-sour notes of tomatoes, the bitterness of kale, and the spiciness of spices to create a cozy, rich taste. The dish perfectly satisfies hunger and warms on cool days. Ribollita is traditionally eaten the day after it is made when the flavors fully develop and the soup becomes even thicker. It pairs well as a standalone dish or with a glass of red wine. This soup is the essence of Italian cuisine, demonstrating that simplicity and tradition can sometimes give rise to culinary masterpieces.
1
Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Then drain the water.
- White beans: 310 g
2
Add beans to the pot of water along with a bay leaf; this will give the beans flavor and soften their skin.
- White beans: 310 g
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
3
Peel the potatoes and add them to the pot. Cook until the beans are soft, taste one to ensure it's tasty and soft. Cooking the beans can take up to an hour. Drain the water (leaving about 0.5 cup of cooking water) and discard the bay leaf and potatoes.
- Potato: 1 piece
4
Clean and finely chop the onion, carrot, and garlic. Finely chop the celery.
- Red onion: 1 head
- Carrot: 2 pieces
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Celery stalk: 3 pieces
5
Heat a pan with a little olive oil and add the vegetables along with ground fennel seeds and chili pepper. Simmer very slowly on low heat with a slightly open lid for about 15-20 minutes until they become soft.
- Olive oil: 30 ml
- Fennel seeds: pinch
- Ground chili pepper: pinch
6
Add tomatoes and bring to a gentle boil for a few minutes.
- Pelati tomatoes: 400 pieces
7
Add the cooked and dried beans with a little of the water they were boiled in, and bring to a boil again.
- White beans: 310 g
8
Finely chop the kale (stems and all) and add it to the pan.
- Kale: 310 g
9
Cut the bread into small pieces and add to the pan. The soup should be thick but not dry, so add a bit more water if needed. Continue cooking for about 30 minutes for the soup to become silky and thick.
- Stale white bread: 150 g
10
Season the ribollita with salt and black pepper, then drizzle with high-quality extra virgin olive oil before serving.
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Extra virgin olive oil: to taste