Ribollita Variation
Ribollita is a traditional Tuscan soup. It's a great use for both stale crusty bread, and for the Parmesan rind you'd otherwise throw out. The entire rind is edible, but I remove the outer quarter inch with the (food-grade) dye. More importantly this recipe it is one of many uses of the abundant kale and other hearty greens usually included in CSA boxes. Fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary are very easy perennial herbs to keep in a garden.
yield: Makes 8+ servings
Ingredients
11 cups (or more) water, divided
1 cup dried beans
fresh or dried sage, thyme and/ or rosemary
7 garlic cloves, 4 halved 3 chopped
2 teaspoons (or more) fine sea salt, divided
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
1-3 carrots, chopped
2 large unpeeled wax potato, scrubbed, in 1/2-inch cubes OR 1 cup or less barley
2 small-medium bunches of greens: can be kale, chard, mustard, radish, dandelion, or other
greens cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons (about 6 cups), stems removed if they're fibrous
4 cups thinly sliced savoy or other cabbage
3 other vegetables such as tomatoes, celery, fennel, summer squash, parsnips, leeks chopped small
leftover Parmesan cheese rind, outermost 1/4 inch removed, cubed
dried crushed red pepper to taste
6 1/2-inch-thick slices crusty bread, coarsely torn
Combine 6 cups water, beans, herbs, and sliced garlic in large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls to keep beans submerged, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on age of beans. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt; simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cool beans in liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in
cooking liquid.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic; stir 2 minutes. Add carrot and other firm vegetables and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender and begin to turn brown in spots, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Add barley or potato, greens, cabbage, other vegetables, Parmesan rind, 5 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about
1 1/2 hours. Add beans with cooking liquid and crushed red pepper. Add 2 cups broth. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before
continuing.
Add bread to soup and simmer, stirring often to break up bread into smaller pieces and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin, if desired. Season with sea salt and pepper. Divide ribollita among bowls, drizzle with oil, and serve.
nutritional information taken from original recipe at epicurious:
Per serving: 343.7 kcal calories, 32.6 % calories from fat, 12.4 g fat, 2.0 g saturated fat, 2.5 mg cholesterol, 45.8 g carbohydrates, 9.5 g dietary fiber, 6.2 g total sugars, 36.3 g net carbohydrates,
13.3 g protein
Ribollita is a traditional Tuscan soup. It's a great use for both stale crusty bread, and for the Parmesan rind you'd otherwise throw out. The entire rind is edible, but I remove the outer quarter inch with the (food-grade) dye. More importantly this recipe it is one of many uses of the abundant kale and other hearty greens usually included in CSA boxes. Fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary are very easy perennial herbs to keep in a garden.
yield: Makes 8+ servings
Ingredients
11 cups (or more) water, divided
1 cup dried beans
fresh or dried sage, thyme and/ or rosemary
7 garlic cloves, 4 halved 3 chopped
2 teaspoons (or more) fine sea salt, divided
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
1 large onion, chopped
1-3 carrots, chopped
2 large unpeeled wax potato, scrubbed, in 1/2-inch cubes OR 1 cup or less barley
2 small-medium bunches of greens: can be kale, chard, mustard, radish, dandelion, or other
greens cut crosswise into 1-inch ribbons (about 6 cups), stems removed if they're fibrous
4 cups thinly sliced savoy or other cabbage
3 other vegetables such as tomatoes, celery, fennel, summer squash, parsnips, leeks chopped small
leftover Parmesan cheese rind, outermost 1/4 inch removed, cubed
dried crushed red pepper to taste
6 1/2-inch-thick slices crusty bread, coarsely torn
Combine 6 cups water, beans, herbs, and sliced garlic in large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls to keep beans submerged, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending on age of beans. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt; simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and cool beans in liquid. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill in
cooking liquid.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion; sprinkle with sea salt. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic; stir 2 minutes. Add carrot and other firm vegetables and thyme; cook until vegetables are tender and begin to turn brown in spots, stirring often, 15 to 18 minutes. Add barley or potato, greens, cabbage, other vegetables, Parmesan rind, 5 cups water, and 1 teaspoon sea salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until vegetables are very tender, about
1 1/2 hours. Add beans with cooking liquid and crushed red pepper. Add 2 cups broth. Season with salt and generous amount of pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before
continuing.
Add bread to soup and simmer, stirring often to break up bread into smaller pieces and adding more broth by 1/2 cupfuls to thin, if desired. Season with sea salt and pepper. Divide ribollita among bowls, drizzle with oil, and serve.
nutritional information taken from original recipe at epicurious:
Per serving: 343.7 kcal calories, 32.6 % calories from fat, 12.4 g fat, 2.0 g saturated fat, 2.5 mg cholesterol, 45.8 g carbohydrates, 9.5 g dietary fiber, 6.2 g total sugars, 36.3 g net carbohydrates,
13.3 g protein