Tuscany on a plate

Lovingly known as “mangiafagioli” (roughly translated to bean-eaters), Tuscans love their white beans. And many other fresh or dried beans, really. So much so that they use them in a large variety of dishes all year round. Cavolo nero (a species of kale) is also one of their favourite ingredient. Ribollita gracefully marries those two staple Tuscan ingredients, making it a legend in the culinary world. It is a simple dish, that only requires a handful of ingredients – and I believe that this makes it even more special. It is also another great way of using stale bread – just as it is the case of Panzanella or other typical Tuscan dishes.

Ribollita (meaning re-boiled) is what you would call a thick soup, that can easily be considered a main course due to its rich consistency. I especially love it in the autumn, when I am craving for comfort food, and spending my evenings thinking about glorious holidays on the sunny Tuscan Riviera. Ribollita is best served hot, with a bit of extravirgin olive oil on top. A handful of grated Parmigiano or Pecorino cheese also works well, although this option is not suitable for vegetarians. I like making enough Ribollita to last for two days. After a night in the fridge, the flavours have time to get together and this makes the soup even tastier.

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Ribollita

Ingredients

(serves 6)

20 ml olive oil
2 shallots chopped
2 garlic cloves sliced
1 large carrot diced
2 celery stalks chopped
2 bay leaves
1 spring of fresh rosemary
200 grams fresh tomatoes roughly chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste double concentrate
1 can of Cannellini beans
3-4 slices of stale bread roughly cut in cubes
1 bunch of cavolo nero chopped
Maldon salt

Instructions

Heat the oil in a deep pan on medium heat.
Add the garlic and onions, a pinch of salt, and leave them to soften. Then add the carrots, celery, bay leaves and rosemary, and allow them to cook, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes, the tomato concentrate, the Cannellini beans and about 450 ml of water. Leave to cook on medium heat for about 25 minutes.
Add the bread and the cavolo nero and allow to cook for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Before serving, discard the bay leaves and the rosemary spring.
Serve hot, in large serving bowls.