Ingredients
6 – 8 people
300 gr. stale bread, sliced
5 tomatoes, crushed
500 gr. Dry cannellini beans
400 gr. Tuscan kale, stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
300 gr. Savoy cabbage
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, (white part only) chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 sprig of thyme
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper at taste
Important tips
1 – Beans must be cooked over extremely low flame in roder to prevent breakage. Water must be seasoned with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tomato, 1 garlic clove, sage and salt.
2 – The bread must be a week old and cut in 1 cm thick slices.
3 – Prepare ribollita a day ahead to enjoy at its best.
Directions
In a large soup pot (terracotta is preferred) saute but do not brown with ¼ cup of the evoo the gralic ad the onion. When ready add the leek, celery, carrots, tomatoes, thyme, cabbage, verza. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over low heat until cabbage and kale are wilted, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
Set aside one quart of the cooked beans. Take the rest of the beans and puree in their broth. Add to the soup. Cook for about another hour or so. Add the whole beans and simmer gently for another few minutes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to serve, bring soup to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Season soup to taste. Place bread on plates and pour soup over them. Some people like to toast the bread and rub cut side of garlic clove over it.
Do not season with cheese but drizzle with olive oil.
