Ribollita

There are two major categories of Italian hearty soups, or zuppe: those based on legumes of some sort, beans, chick peas, lentils, or whatever, added with grains or pasta, like farro or barley; and those that are based on green vegetables–minestroni, in short.

After the monumental holiday menus, a warm bowl of healthy minestra works wonders on the overworked digestive system. Plus the rain and snow that are chafing Italy these days make it a perfect excuse to make soup.

Image © Donna Moderna.com

Probably the most representative of Tuscany's zuppa tradition, Ribollita honorably competes with co-regional adversaries Pappa al Pomodoro and Zuppa di Farro for the title of the world's best hearty Italian minestra. Ribollita was the soup typical of Tuscan farmers. Today it is a classic cuisine delicacy. After a first slow stewing, the ribollita is left to rest and re-boiled (hence the name, ri-bollita) the next day.

Cavolo Nero–the main ingredient of this twice-cooked bread & vegetable minestrone–is black leaf kale. Some English-speakers call it with its original name cavolo nero, while others refer to it as ‘dinosaur kale’ or ‘laciniate’ kale or cabbage. Look for it in your local organic produce market, you may have better luck finding it there than in the supermarket. Try visiting these websites here and here for further information and seed availability (thank you Rosaria for the OR tip–EB).
But if you simply cannot find it, here’s a trick: adding a sprig of fresh thyme in the preparation magically lends the soup a cavolo nero-flavor.

There are many variations and family copyrighted recipes. My version is inspired by a combination of those performed by Artusi and Florentine friend Giovanni.

• 500 gr (3 1/2 cups) cannellini beans*
• 1/2 large Savoy cabbage
• 200 gr (1 cup) turnip leaves (or collard greens)
• 1 leek, trimmed of all green parts and thinly sliced
• 500 gr (2 1/2 cups) black cabbage (essential)
• 4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 plum tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon Parmigiano, grated
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 large (or 2 medium) celery ribs, diced
• 4 slices stale homestyle bread
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
  
• Salt & pepper
• (A sprig of fresh thyme in substitution to black leaf kale)

*If the beans are dried, soak them in water for at least 24 hours; if fresh, simply rinse after removing them from their pods.

The day before serving your Ribollita, rinse the beans and boil them in salted water for 40 minutes. Set them aside soaking in their cooking water.

Sauté the leek-carrot-celery battuto with olive oil, in a heavy bottomed pot. When the leek has become translucent, add the tomato sauce. Whir half the beans in the blender with their cooking water and add them to the sauce. Stir in all the vegetables, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer gently for 1 hour.
Stir in the rest of the saved beans and the bread, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper. Keep simmering for 5 more minutes.

Go to sleep and wish your ribollita goodnight. The next day re-boil the soup for 10 minutes and let it rest off the stove for an additional 15 minutes before serving in deep bowls, each containing a garlic-rubbed slice of bruschetta, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and several more turns of the peppermill.



Yum.