Tuscan Ribollita
Throughout Tuscany, White Bean Stew is called Ribollita, which translates to “re-boiled.” This hearty stew originated in hilltop villages throughout Tuscany during the Middle Ages, where poor, hard-working peasants would pocket the leftover crusts and crumbs to add to their soups and stews at home. This recipe adds a heap of kale to softened onions, carrots and celery, combined with beans and tomatoes. It’s simply a matter of bringing the vegetables together in a simmer, then topping with the toasted bread.
- Serves
- 4-6
Directions
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Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
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Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it begins to shimmer, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
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Drain and rinse the canned beans. Add them to the pot along with tomatoes and their juices, veg stock, sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the soup bubbles steadily. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes, until the flavors meld, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Remove rosemary and thyme stems and stir in kale. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Lay bread slices on top of the stew so they cover the top and overlap as little as possible. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.
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Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 3-5 minutes. (If your pot fits under the broiler, you can also brown the top even more quickly there.) Divide the soup and bread among 4 bowls and serve.
From Shawnie's class “Winter Soups”
