Ribollita, a vegetarian recipe from Italy

Name: Ribollita
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 300 g stale country bread, sliced; 2 tins cannellini beans (800 g), drained; 300 g cavolo nero, stalks removed and leaves shredded; 1 onion, chopped; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery sticks, diced; 1 potato, diced; 3 garlic cloves, chopped; 400 g chopped tomatoes; 1.2 litres vegetable stock; 1 sprig thyme; 6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra to serve; Salt and black pepper

Method

Heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole and soften the onion, carrots and celery over low heat for 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, potato and thyme, then the tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes.
Blend half the beans with a ladle of stock and pour into the pot with the remaining stock and whole beans. Bring to a simmer.
Add the cavolo nero and cook gently for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are meltingly soft. Season well.
Push the bread slices down into the soup, turn off the heat, cover and leave to swell for 20 minutes or overnight in the fridge.
To serve, reheat the soup gently, stirring so the bread breaks down. It should be very thick.
Serve with a generous pour of olive oil and freshly ground pepper.

Ribollita means “reboiled”. It was made to last several days and warmed up each morning, which is why its flavour deepens the longer it sits.

The techniques this recipe uses

Sweat the aromatics
Medium heat, no browning: the onion should turn translucent and sweet, not toasted.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really have to wait until the next day?

The name means reboiled, and the dish is built to be reheated: the bread finishes breaking down and the soup reaches its purée-like consistency. Twenty minutes of resting will do at a pinch, but a night in the fridge is markedly better.

What can replace cavolo nero?

Its thick leaves survive half an hour of cooking without vanishing. Curly green kale is the best substitute; tender leaves like spinach melt away completely and give none of the same chew.

Why blend half the beans?

The bean purée thickens the broth and gives it body, while the whole beans keep some texture. Having both is what stops the soup being either too thin or uniformly stodgy.

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Ribollita

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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