Italian Ribollita Vegetable And Bread Soup Recipes

RIBOLLITA (ITALIAN VEGETABLE AND BREAD SOUP)

Steps:

• First take one of your onions, and chop it so that you have one cup of chopped onions.
• Heat 2 tablespoons in a large oven-safe pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Once heated, add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper, and let the vegetables sauté for about 10 minutes, until soft and just starting to gain a little color. You may want to reduce the heat a little once the veggies get going.
• Keep an eye on the sautéing vegetables while you slice the remaining two onions. You want to have round slices that will hold their shape and not fall apart. You can probably get 8-9 slices out of a large onion. Set aside.
• Drain and rinse one can of the beans, then place in a food processor to puree. If you don't have a food processor you can mash with a fork or potato masher. Pureeing the beans helps to give the soup its distinctive texture. Drain the rinse the second can of beans, but leave those beans whole.
• By now your vegetables should be nicely sautéed. Stir in the oregano, tomatoes, beans, and tomato paste, and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Add 5 cups of vegetable broth to the pot, and bring the soup to a steady simmer. Add the parmesan rind, and let simmer for 20 minutes.
• Arrange your oven racks so that your pot will fit in your oven. Heat your oven to 500 degrees.
• Stir in the swiss chard or kale, then place the slices of bread on top of the soup, arranging them in a single flat layer so they do not overlap. I like to cut the slices of bread in half to make this easy.
• Next, arrange the onions on top the bread, letting them overlap slightly. You want the liquid of the soup to be just reaching the onions, if it isn't, go ahead an add more broth to the soup. Now take that 1/4 cup of olive oil, and brush half of it over the onions.
• Sprinkle half of the Parmesan on top.
• Bake uncovered for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven. Check the amount of liquid in the pot, adding more if necessary. You want the liquid to be just reaching those onions - it is better to have extra liquid than to have your soup dry out or overcook. Next brush the remaining olive oil over onions, and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Return the soup to the oven for another 20-25 minutes, until the onions are golden brown.
• Remove the soup from the oven, and stir it up. It is meant to be very thick, but you can always add more broth if you find it to be too thick. Sometimes I just top off each bowl of soup with a few tablespoons of extra broth.
• Traditionally Ribollita is served with olive oil poured in the shape of the letter "C" on top, and no cheese. I however, I do like to sprinkle Parmesan over the soup. Please don't tell the Italians. I also garnish with some fresh basil with adds a burst of fresh flavor to the soup.

RIBOLLITA (VEGETABLE, BEAN AND STALE BREAD SOUP)

Steps:

• Variations: For a sweeter soup, add chopped fennel to your mix. For autumn, add zucchini or butternut squash to your blend.
• Drain the beans and place in a pot with 4 cups chicken stock, 1 clove garlic, half an onion and some salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread until deeply golden and toasted. Store in foil.
• Heat 1/4 cup EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, remaining 3 cloves garlic, chile flakes, bay leaf and herb bundle. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, kale, cabbage and a little nutmeg. Stir. Wilt the greens, partially covered, 5 to 6 minutes more. Add the beans and their liquids and the tomato puree. Stir. Add 2 cups more stock (reserve 2 cups for the night you serve). Add the cheese rind to the soup. Simmer to combine flavors, 15 minutes. Remove 3 cups of the beans and vegetables, about half the soup, to food processor and puree. Then add back to pot. Cool and store the soup for a make-ahead meal.
• To serve, heat the soup over medium heat, add the bread to the soup and let it absorb the liquid. Thin the soup with the remaining 2 cups of stock. Taste to adjust seasoning. Remove the herb bundle, rind and bay leaf. The ribollita is done when a wooden spoon can stand straight up in the soup. Ladle into shallow bowls and garnish with a generous drizzle of EVOO, finely chopped raw onion and cheese. Leftover soup can be fried in olive oil in a skillet like potato pancakes or hash, and topped with over easy or fried eggs.

TUSCAN BREAD AND VEGETABLE SOUP (RIBOLLITA)

Steps:

• Prepare the broth, if necessary.
• Then, pour the olive oil in a large pot.
• Add the celery, carrots, garlic, onion, and herbs.
• Cook, stirring frequently over medium heat until the celery and other aromatics are tender and golden, about 20 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and cook 10 minutes.
• Stir in the beans, remaining vegetables, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Add the broth and water to just cover.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Cook gently, over very low heat, until the vegetables are tender, about 2 hours.
• Let cool slightly.
• When ready to serve, pour about 4 cups of the soup into a blender or food processor.
• Puree the soup, then transfer it to a pot along with the remaining soup; reheat gently.
• Choose a soup tureen or pot large enough to hold the bread and soup.
• Place a layer of bread slices on the bottom.
• Spoon on enough of the soup to cover the bread completely.
• Repeat layering until all the soup is used and the bread is soaked.
• Let stand at least 20 minutes; it should be very thick.
• Stir the soup to break up the bread.
• Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the red onion.
• Serve warm or at room temperature.