Ribollita
Why use the Italian name for this dish? Because when translated, ribollita means ‘reboiled’ and we don’t know about you but a dish with that name would not exactly entice us to the dinner table. “What’s for dinner, Mum?” “Reboiled!!” “Ooh, Reboiled! Our favourite!!!” Yeah, it doesn’t really work. Soup by any other name, ribollita has Tuscan origins. It was traditionally made in big batches, then reheated over several days, getting better each time. This is still true; we swear this soup tastes even better the day after you make it when the flavours have melded a bit. Stale bread gives the dish body and structure and please don’t use supermarket bread it has a goopy texture when it’s wet and it doesn’t actually go stale at any point. No matter how long you keep it. You want a decent sourdough or similar bakery loaf, free of the additives that make commercial bread last longer than the average half-life of an isotope. In Tuscany, obviously, they’d use Tuscan bread and if you’ve ever had this, you’ll know it’s very sturdy, has a thick crust and contains no salt. The use of dried beans, particularly cannellini beans, is another hallmark of ribollita, reflecting the agricultural abundance of Tuscany. Beans were once an important source of protein for the rural poor, who couldn’t afford meat on a regular basis. We’ve added canned tomatoes for an extra boost of vegetal sweetness. Use vegetable stock if you want to make this vegetarian, and instead of kale, you could easily use silverbeet or spinach.
SERVES 6
60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
1 large onion or 2 small leeks, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small head of fennel or 2 celery stalks, chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely slice
2 tsp fennel seeds
4 sprigs thyme
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 x 400g cans cherry tomatoes
1.25 litres (5 cups) chicken stock
1 large piece parmesan rind (optional)
4 stalks kale, leaves removed and roughly chopped into small pieces
1 x 400g can cannellini or butter beans, rinsed and drained
100g (about 2 slightly heaped cups) day-old rustic bread, torn into small pieces
extra virgin olive oil and grated parmesan, to serve
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, fennel, garlic, fennel seeds and thyme. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are very soft. Add the tomato paste and stir for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, stock and parmesan rind, if using. Bring to a simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to develop. Stir in the kale, cannellini beans and bread, bring to a simmer, then cook for 6-7 minutes or until the kale is tender and the bread is very soft and starting to break down. Taste, then season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove the thyme and parmesan rind. Divide among large, warmed bowls, top each with grated parmesan and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and serve.
