Ribollita is an easy cold weather meal that makes for perfect leftovers. Make a big batch and enjoy for a few days.
The Recipe
Start with the beans. Cover dried beans in a few inches of water. Add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and your aromatic vegetables of choice ~ we used a carrots and an onion, cut in half. Bring to a full boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until done (2-3 hours). Add a few pinches of sea salt when beans are soft.
While the beans are cooking, I like to gather and prep the rest of the ingredients.
1 loaf of bread (we used sourdough) 1 leek, chopped 2 shallots, chopped 2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped Extra virign olive oil 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped 28oz canned tomatoes 5 cups vegetable broth 2 thyme sprigs 1 bay leaf 1 teaspoon dry oregano 1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped 4 cups vegetable broth Parmesan cheese, to taste Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Next up, toast the bread in the oven. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Tear the bread into large pieces and put it on a large sheet pan. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and toss to make sure the bread is coated. Spread the bread in one layer on the sheet pan. Bake in the heated oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. When your beans and bread are prepped, you can start on the soup. Heat 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until just simmering. Add the leek, shallots, carrots, and a pinch of sea salt. Lower the heat to medium and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for another 30-60 seconds. Add the tomatoes and broth (you can also sub 1 cup white wine, we just used broth). Cook over medium heat, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. In a food processor or blender, combine about 1/2 cup of the tomato broth mixture and 1 cup of beans. Puree until smooth, then set aside.
To the tomato broth pot mixture, add your spices ~ we used fresh thyme, bay leaf, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Let simmer over medium heat for around 20 minutes. Next, add the beans (both whole and pureed) and chopped kale to the soup pot. Stir to combine evenly with tomato broth mixture. Let cook for a few minutes, then add the toasted bread. Let cook until the bread has softened and absorbed the broth, then removed from heat. Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Finish with a drizzle of Olio Nuovo and a hearty sprinkle of parmesan.
