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Italian: Tuscan Ribollita

Source of Recipe


The Union Square Cafe






List of Ingredients



• 1 cup dried cannellini or Great Northern beans
  
• 2 tsp kosher salt
  
• 4 Tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 cups diced zucchini (1 medium)
  
• 1-1/2 cups diced onion
  
• 2/3 cup diced celery
  
• 1/2 cup scrubbed and diced carrots
  
• 1/4 lb. pancetta, diced (1 cup)
  
• 2 Tbsp minced garlic
  
• 1/2 head savoy cabbage, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
  
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
  
• 1/2 cup chopped basil
  
• 2 cups cleaned spinach leaves
  
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 cups cubed day-old sourdough bread
  
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano
  
• 4 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  






Instructions



1. Rinse and cover the beans with cold water and soak overnight.
   
   
2. Drain the beans and place them in a saucepan with 8 cups cold water. Cook, covered, for one hour. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt and continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside with their liquid.
   
   
3. Over a medium flame, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Over the medium heat, saute the zucchini, onions, celery, carrots, pancetta and garlic until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the cabbage, tomatoes, basil and spinach. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 10 minutes.
   
   
4. Strain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. Puree half the beans in a food processor. Add the pureed beans, the whole beans, and their cooking liquid (8 cups) to the soup pot, and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. (If you don't have enough cooking liquid, add water to make up the difference.)
   
   
5. Add the diced sourdough bread to the soup and cook for 10 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning. Serve with the Pecorino Romano and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.
   
   Serves 6 to 8
   
   






Final Comments


"Ribollita is a wonderful bread and vegetable soup proudly served by almost every cook in Tuscany. Italian for 'reboiled,' ribollita will change dramatically when you reheat it the next day -- and that's exactly how the Tuscans love it. The first day's helping will be chunky and soupy, and the next day's reboiled serving should be thick and pudding-like, as the bread absorbs the broth. No matter which way you prefer your ribollita -- soupy or thick -- finish it with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Pecorino Romano."