Ribollita has ancient and very humble origins: also called bread soup or lean soup, it is a typically winter dish and must be prepared with the right ingredients, discover them in the post.
Practical information
Difficulty: easy
Preparation: 2 hours (plus the time required to soak the beans)
Cooking: 1 hour
Doses: 4 people
Presentation of the dish, history and traditions
Ribollita is the best known of the Tuscan soups: in reality it is a dish of very humble origins, also called bread soup, or lean soup. Typically winter, it must be prepared with the right ingredients: cannellini beans, black cabbage, Tuscan bread without salt and extra virgin olive oil, as a final touch, under penalty of poor success. As it is a dish of peasant tradition, the variations are many (and not always orthodox), however I would like to say that we cannot ignore the ingredients mentioned above.
The name is also an indication of how to best enjoy it, in fact you can prepare it and then eat it the next day (or days later, as in the past), boiling it again: this process enhances its taste.
Ingredients
200 gr of dried cannellini beans
1 clove of garlic
1 sprig of sage
1 onion
2 spoons of tomato sauce
2 large carrots
1 of celery
2 potatoes
2 bunches of black cabbage
half cabbage
5/6 slices of stale Tuscan bread
vegetable broth to taste
To season: extra virgin olive oil; optional: a tuft of pepolino (wild thyme).
How to prepare the Ribollita
First, soak the cannellini beans the night before; then boil them in water with a clove of garlic and a sprig of sage.
When they are cooked, prepare the soup: first, mince the onion and fry it in two tablespoons of oil in a large pot, then add two tablespoons of tomato sauce. Pass a part of the boiled beans and add them, with their water, to the sauce.
Cut the carrots into slices, the celery into small pieces, the potatoes into small pieces and add them to the sauté where the beans are already flavored.
Clean the black cabbage, removing the central rib (which is hard) and cutting the leaves into strips, wash it and add it to the other vegetables; also proceed with the cabbage, cut into strips, washed and combined with the rest.
Add the beans not pureed e cook for at least an hour, adding a little vegetable broth if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
At this point take two slices of bread, make a layer in a tureen, pour part of the soup; make another layer of bread and more soup, until complete. Cover and let it rest.
Ribollita it can be eaten immediately or the day after. In this case it must be boiled again (it may be necessary to add a little vegetable broth to prevent it from sticking).
When you serve it you can add a little pepper if you want (not everyone likes it), certainly a nice spoonful of oil. Enjoy your meal!
Curiosities and Advice
This, like other dishes of the more popular Florentine cuisine, is a very natural food and stands the test of the sensitivities and dietary needs of our days. Have you noticed? In fact it is a vegan dish, even if reading it would make the lovers of tradition jump on their seats! However, if you are on holiday in Florence know that it is possible, even for those with special food needs, to eat in traditional restaurants, finding suitable specialties and remaining in the sign of Tuscan culture!
