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Ribollita
Tuscany's reboiled bread, bean and cavolo nero soup
Ribollita means 'reboiled': a Tuscan peasant soup of cannellini beans, cavolo nero and other vegetables, layered with stale bread and heated again the next day until thick enough to eat with a fork. Florentines eat it through the cold months, when cavolo nero is sweetest after the first frosts, finished with a green thread of new-season olive oil. Make it a day ahead, because the reboil is the point. Chef's tip: when reheating, let the bottom catch very slightly before stirring; that toasty edge is what Tuscans love about day-two ribollita.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Warm 4 tablespoons of 4 ¼ tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large heavy pot over a medium-low heat. Add 1 red onion, 2 carrots, 2 sticks celery and 3 cloves garlic and cook for 12 minutes, stirring, until soft and sweet.
12 minStep 2: Add 1 potato and 14 oz chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until the tomatoes darken slightly.
5 minStep 3: Add 10 ½ oz cavolo nero and 7 oz savoy cabbage in handfuls, stirring until they wilt.
5 minStep 4: Mash half of 1 ¾ lb cooked cannellini beans to a rough paste and add with the whole beans, 6 ¼ cups hot water or vegetable stock, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Simmer gently, half covered, for 40 minutes, until the cabbage is silky.
40 minStep 5: Turn off the heat. Lay slices of 9 oz stale Tuscan or country bread in the soup, pushing them under, until it is very thick. Cover and leave to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Common mistake: using fresh, soft bread; it turns into paste. It must be properly dry.
Step 6: Next day, put the pot over a medium heat with the rest of 1 ¾ tbsp extra virgin olive oil and heat for 10–15 minutes, stirring gently and letting the bottom catch a little, until thick and piping hot.
15 minStep 7: Serve in bowls with raw olive oil poured over and black pepper.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 430 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 14 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ribollita take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of red onion?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
- What can I use instead of carrots?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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