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Spiel
Ribollita is the famed Tuscan bread soup made with white beans and black kale. I make it without the bread, because let’s face it, who needs the extra bread? Personally, I want a soup I can binge on without adding calories.
A good vegetable soup is a work of art. Before tackling this one, it was essential that I studied first with the masters: the Italians themselves. It would have been a lot easier to perfect this soup if I’d had a Tuscan mother who fed me ribollita regularly. My mother was more of the Lean Cuisine type, so I had to actually live in Tuscany to study this soup up close. (And by the way, the best way to study cooking is by eating!)
This recipe is far from being a whimsical creation on a cold and soupy night. I have been eating in preparation for this soup for 18 years. I have fallen asleep many a late night with Italian-language cookbooks scattered all over the bed while reading and rereading recipes by trusted sources. I have talked the ear off of enough Italian mammas in order to understand what makes their ribollitas so incredible. And I have made enough variations on this minestrone theme to know that I have finally arrived.
It is my honor to share this soup — a favorite of my cooking students in Los Angeles — with you.
Important note: Soup should taste like pure love. This one takes a little time, but is well worth it. It makes a lot and freezes well. Remember to love every ingredient as you chop it. Love every ingredient as you sauté it. And love the whole cauldron as it simmers.
MORE RECIPIES OF THIS TYPE: cali-style, food blog, gluten-free, italian, legumes, recipes, Soup, vegetables, vegetables, Vegetarian
Meal
Ingredients:
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Note: Give yourself 12 to24 hours to soak beans before cooking.
- 2 cups dried cannellini beans
- Salt (1 1⁄2 + 1 1⁄2 teaspoons or to taste)
- A sprig of rosemary
- Extra virgin olive oil (1⁄4 cup, plus more for beans and drizzling)
- 1 large onion, chopped into 1⁄4 inch pieces
- 1 carrot, finely chopped into 1⁄4 inch pieces
- 1 celery rib, chopped into 1⁄4 inch pieces
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 yam (orange sweet potato), cut into 1⁄2 inch pieces
- 1 russet potato, cut into 1⁄2 inch pieces
- 1 lb black kale (dinosaur or lacinato, not curly kale), bottom stems removed, cut into 1⁄4 inch slices
- 1⁄2 lb swiss chard (green variety, not red), cut into 1⁄4 inch slices
- 2 Tbsp good imported Italian tomato paste or 4 vine ripened tomatoes, finely chopped
- 8 to 10 cups homemade chicken stock (it makes all the difference)
- 10 basil leaves
- 1 to 2 leeks, finely sliced, white parts only (optional)
- Drizzle of very good olive oil on each bowl when served
- Optional: parmigiano reggiano, freshly grated to serve
- Optional: crusty country loaf of bread, sliced and “staled” by baking in oven at 350 for 15 minutes.
Directions:
Day before: Soak beans in cold water to cover for 12 to 24 hours, changing water at least once.
Next day: Drain beans. Put in a pot over high flame with water to cover beans by 3 to 4 inches. Drizzle a little olive oil, add 1 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and throw in rosemary. When boiling, bring to medium low flame and simmer, uncovered, for 1 to 2 hours until tender. Do not discard the water the beans are cooking in; you will use the water later in the recipe.
Make the soffritto (broth base): Put heavy soup pan or dutch oven over medium flame while you chop the onion, carrot and celery for soffrito. Add olive oil, onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, sweet potato and potato, stirring occasionally, and sauté while you continue chopping the kale and swiss chard. Add chard and kale to the mix and stir. Add chopped fresh tomatoes or tomato paste and stir until well mixed. Let it caramelize with vegetables for a couple minutes.
Add 8 cups stock, throw in the basil leaves, add the remaining salt, and bring to a boil. Then lower flame to low, cover and simmer for at least 2 hours. (Reserve remaining stock in case you need more liquid in the end.)
When beans are tender and done, remove rosemary and put about two cups of beans into soup. Use a blender stick or blender to puree the rest of the beans with the cooking liquid until smooth. Pour the bean puree into the cooked soup. Add the leeks. Stir and let sit to cool, as the flavor will only enhance with time. Reheat to serve and drizzle with good olive oil. Top with Parmigiano if you like and a piece of “staled” bread.
