Ribollita
If you have just these six items, you can make a decent ribollita! The other ingredients, of course, are wonderful additions!
On the same Italy trip when Hank asked me to learn to make Ragù al Cinghiale (click for the link to that post), my son, Daniel, fell in love with ribollita and wanted to make it at home. Ribollita is one of the famous Tuscan peasant soups that was originally a way for people to use stale bread. (Pappa al Pomodoro is a similarly-inspired Tuscan soup which is tomato-based.)
In an authentic version of ribollita, one of the key ingredients is cavolo nero, also called lacinato kale. Back when Daniel first decided he wanted to make it at home, this green leafy vegetable was not easy to find here. After a bit of research and trial & error, we figured out an easy, delicious version using frozen spinach and canned beans (instead of dried). Though now I see cavolo nero in the stores, this version is a perfect “pantry” recipe.
All you really need is an onion, broth (chicken or vegetable), canned beans, canned tomatoes, frozen spinach, and stale bread. Everything else listed would be great if you have it, and you could even try adding some other vegetables as well. As I’ve said before, these days we are all making do as best we can.
Although I like to add pancetta, this recipe can easily be vegetarian by omitting that and using vegetable broth, or it can even make it vegan without the Parmesan rind. (The Parmesan rind adds flavor, but don’t hesitate to make this soup if you haven’t been saving your rinds for this!)
It’s really helpful to use stale bread because fresh bread will just fall apart, and the heartier the bread the better. There’s no set amount for this, but 3-5 slices of a rustic loaf should do the trick.
Ribollita
Healthy and filling!
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
4 ounces pancetta, chopped into small cubes (omit for vegetarian or vegan)
2 cloves garlic, one minced, one whole
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespoon herbes de Provence, or other combination of dried herbs to include oregano and thyme
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock, homemade or store-bought
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound frozen chopped spinach
1 bay leaf
1 piece Parmesan rind, optional (omit for vegan)
3-5 slices stale bread, preferably a hearty rustic style, broken into pieces
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, garlic, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the onion begins to turn golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add the herbs and stir to moisten and release the flavors.
Pour about ½ cup of broth into the pot and stir to scrape up any browned bits that have gotten stuck to the bottom. Add the rest of the broth, tomatoes with juices, beans, spinach, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind (if using). Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the Parmesan rind, bay leaf and whole garlic clove. The soup can be made to this point and kept in the refrigerator for another day.
Add the stale bread to the soup, and stir gently to moisten and incorporate. If the soup has been in the refrigerator, heat it on the stove before adding the bread. Even after the bread had been added, any leftovers can be cooled and kept in the refrigerator, although the bread will become totally incorporated into the soup – but it will still be delicious!