Ribollita Recipe

This may be my favorite soup of all time. Which is saying A LOT because I am a HUGE fan of soup 365 days out of the year.

Just a VERY quick backstory… I fell in love with this dish when I was studying abroad in Florence in 2007 and I ordered it at a place called “Mario’s.” It is a tiny “hole-in-the-wall” establishment and if it is still located in this beautiful city, then I highly recommend a visit.

Why is this soup so good? Well, for one, the chunks of bread in this soup put croutons to shame.

This Italian classic is about as comforting as it gets, packed with hearty kale, meaty beans, a beautiful amount of grassy olive oil and lets not forget the umami-packed Parmesan.

A note on the cheese: If you've been throwing out your Parm rinds all these years, you’re f*cking up and you need to stop.

It stops right here, right now.

The rind is full of flavor, and makes a great addition to any broth-y, stewy or saucy situation.

Ina Garten uses kale in her ribollita and if it is good enough for Ina, it is good enough for moi. This green holds up so well in this soup.

You wanna get someone to like kale? Make them this soup.

Ribollita

Serves: 8

Based off of Ina Garten’s Ribollita Recipe

Ingredients:

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling at the table

6 large cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, chopped

1 dried bay leaf

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage

4 cups coarsely chopped kale, ribs removed

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 cans small white beans, such as Goya brand, cannellini beans may be substituted but look for cans marked "small white beans" on international foods aisle of market, blend 1 of the two cans into a puree.

1-3 Parmesan rinds

6 cups vegetable stock or broth

2 cups tomato sauce

3 cups stale chewy Italian bread, crust removed and bread torn into pieces, about 1/2 a loaf or cube up 3 cups of sourdough bread

1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Instructions:

1. Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot over moderate heat, (I use my dutch oven for this recipe). Add olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bay leaf to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and saute until they begin to soften 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, blend one of your two bean cans into a puree to add to the soup later on.

3. Add the cabbage, kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.

4. Add beans, bean puree, rind, stock and tomato sauce. Bring soup to a boil over medium high heat. Remove lid and stir in the bread. Stir soup and incorporate bread as it breaks down. When soup is becomes thick and bread is distributed evenly, adjust seasoning and serve the soup in shallow bowls. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

Notes:

1. You can use rosemary and wrap it up in cheesecloth to add the essence of its flavor to this dish and them remove it right before serving.

2. Some ribolittas are so thick, the spoon can stand upright. This is a subjective technique. Make yours as thick or thin, as you like with the addition of either more bread or additional stock or water.

3. I switch up the beans in this recipe sometimes for a kidney bean if I just feel like making a change!