Ribollita – Traditional Tuscan-Style Bread and Bean Soup

Preparation

1. 01

   sweating over medium heat

   Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a wide, deep pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery and sweat for approximately 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have softened.

2. 02

   Brief sauté

   Add the finely chopped garlic and cook for a further 1 minutes. Then add the tomato purée and continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minutes.

3. 03

   Sautéing

   Add the finely diced potatoes and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the canned chopped tomatoes and stir.

4. 04

   cooking over low heat

   Add the drained cannellini beans, hot vegetable stock, fresh rosemary sprig and parmesan rind (if using) to the pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid ajar for 20 minutes.

5. 05

   cooking over low heat

   Add the roughly chopped cavolo nero (black kale) leaves and cook for a further 15 minutes.

6. 06

   cooking over low heat

   Add the stale bread pieces to the pan and cook for a further 15 minutes. The bread will soften and give the soup a thick, hearty texture. Remove the rosemary sprig and parmesan rind. Season with salt and pepper.

7. 07

   serving

   Divide the soup among bowls. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve hot.