Raes Ribollita Recipes

RACH'S RIBOLLITA IS THE LEFTOVERS MEAL THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Steps:

• For the beans: Soak the beans overnight
• Rinse and place in pot and cover by about 3 inches with water
• Add onion, garlic, bay, and bring to boil
• Reduce heat, salt beans liberally and cook 40-50 minutes to tender
• Remove onion, garlic and bay, and reserve beans and what is left of cooking liquid
• For the soup: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with EVOO, 4 turns of the pan
• Add carrot, celery, onions, leek, garlic and season with salt and pepper
• Add herb bundle, partially cover and sweat the vegetables to soften 10 minutes, then add greens, wilting them in in stages, and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg
• Add stock, tomatoes, and rind and simmer 45 minutes, then cool and store
• Reheat the soup over moderate heat and combine with the beans and their liquid
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F
• Arrange the bread on tray and bake to deeply golden brown
• Stir the bread into the soup
• When soup is thick enough for spoon to stand upright, it's done
• Serve soup in bowls topped with raw onion, EVOO and cheese

RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
• Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their puree, the cabbage, if using, the kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.
• Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
• Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.

RAE'S RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, finely chop and add the pancetta, chilli flakes and fennel seeds, then fry for 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, dice the carrot and celery into 1cm chunks, and peel finely chop the onion. Tie the rosemary sprigs together with string.
• Add the chopped veg and rosemary to the pan, then reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 15 to 20 minutes, or until softened and caramelised.
• Tip in the tomatoes, squashing and crushing them through your clean hands, followed by the beans (juice and all), and 1.8 litres of water. Bring to the boil, then turn down and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veg is tender and the liquid has thickened slightly.
• Meanwhile, strip the cavolo nero leaves from their stalks and roughly chop them, adding them to the pan after 10 minutes.
• When the veg is tender, pick out and discard the rosemary.
• Tear the bread into small chunks, dot it into the pan, and continue to simmer gently for around 10 minutes, or until the bread has broken down and the soup is thick and creamy, stirring regularly.
• Season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then drizzle lightly with cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil before serving.

RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Put 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it's hot, add onion, carrot, celery and garlic; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Drain the beans; if they're canned, rinse them as well. Add them to the pot along with tomatoes and their juices and stock, rosemary and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the soup bubbles steadily; cover and cook, stirring once or twice to break up the tomatoes, until the flavors meld, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Fish out and discard rosemary and thyme stems, if you like, and stir in kale. Taste and adjust seasoning. Lay bread slices on top of the stew so they cover the top and overlap as little as possible. Scatter red onion slices over the top, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.
• Put the pot in the oven and bake until the bread, onions and cheese are browned and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. (If your pot fits under the broiler, you can also brown the top there.) Divide the soup and bread among 4 bowls and serve.

RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot over moderate heat. Add oil, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bay to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and saute until they begin to soften 5 to 7 minutes. Add beans, stock and tomato sauce. Bring soup to a boil over medium high heat. Remove lid and stir in torn stale bread. Stir soup and incorporate bread as it breaks down. When soup is becomes thick and bread is distributed evenly, adjust seasoning and serve the soup in shallow bowls. Some ribolittas are so thick, the spoon can stand upright. This is a subjective technique. Make yours as thick or thin, as you like with the addition of either more bread or additional stock or water.
• Top shallow bowlfuls of soup with thinly sliced or finely chopped raw onion, a drizzle of extra- virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

TUSCAN-STYLE RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt for 15 mins until soft. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1 min.
• Stir in the rosemary sprig, tomatoes, stock, beans and parmesan rind, if using, and bring to a simmer. Add the cavolo and cook, covered, for 10 mins. Stir through the bread and cook for several minutes more to warm through, then add the vinegar and season. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with a little more oil and sprinkle with the basil, if using, and the grated cheese.