Ribollita : Tuscan Vegetable and Bread Soup Recipe

This is a hearty Tuscan soup with lots of healthy vegetables.

This soup is perfect for a cold day. It uses features fresh greens, beans, and stale bread.

Rebollita means "reboiled," and focuses on the fact that soup tastes better the next day. Recipes very from cook to cook. If you cannot get black leaf kale you can use red cabbage. Some cooks even use brussles sprouts. I take an easy approach and use canned beans. If you want to use fresh you can do so, just be sure to start the day before.

Ingredients

1 onions, finely chopped
• 1 leek
• 1 10 ounce can cannellini (white beans)
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 head black leaf kale, sliced and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced
• 1/2 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 zucchini, sliced
• 1 small bunch of basil, leaves torn
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• freshly ground, black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound stale Italian bread
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Sauté onion and leek in 1/4 cup olive oil minutes until translucent.
2. Add a cup of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add the kale, other vegetables, and basil to this the onions and broth.
3. Cook for 20 minutes, covered. Add the beans, the rest of the broth.
4. Add tomato paste, oregano, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Cook for 90 minutes. It should not be thick at this point.
6. It is best to let the soup rest at least a day.
7. Put the soup in a pot and layer the soup with thin slices of day old bread.
8. Heat while stirring until the bread breaks apart and thickens the soup. You can add more broth or water if needed.
9. When the soup is done, turn off the heat and stir in 1/4 cup olive oil. Taste for salt.
10. Serve with the freshly grated cheese on top.