Tuscan Ribollita with White Beans, Kale & Torn Bread

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A thick, spoon-standing Tuscan bread soup built on a slow-cooked soffritto, tomato, cannellini beans and plenty of lacinato kale. Torn stale country bread melts into the pot and turns it from soup into something closer to a savory porridge. Everything comes from the pantry, and it tastes better the next day.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 14.5-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 large bunch lacinato kale, stemmed and cut into 1-inch ribbons (about 8 cups)
• 1/2 small head savoy cabbage, cored and shredded (about 3 cups)
• 8 oz stale crusty country bread or sourdough, crusts on, torn into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• flaky sea salt

Instructions

1. Heat the 1/3 cup olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery with the 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt and cook, stirring every few minutes, for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft and the onion is translucent with no browning. This slow start is what gives ribollita its sweetness.
2. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes and rosemary and cook 2 minutes more, until the garlic smells toasty but has not colored.
3. Stir in the tomato paste and cook it, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes until it darkens to brick red and coats the vegetables. Add the crushed tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pot.
4. Scoop out 1 cup of the drained cannellini beans and mash them to a rough paste with a fork; add both the mashed and whole beans to the pot along with the broth, bay leaves and diced potato. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer.
5. Add the kale and cabbage in two additions, letting the first wilt down for a minute before adding the rest. Partially cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are silky and the potato is falling apart.
6. Stir in the torn bread, pressing it under the surface so every piece soaks. Simmer uncovered 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until the bread has dissolved into the broth and a spoon dragged through the pot leaves a trail. If it tightens too much, loosen with 1/2 cup hot water at a time.
7. Fish out the bay leaves. Stir in the red wine vinegar and black pepper, then taste and add salt as needed — bread soaks up a lot of seasoning, so it usually needs another 1/2 teaspoon.
8. Turn off the heat and let the pot rest 10 minutes off the burner; ribollita should be thick and warm rather than piping hot. Ladle into wide bowls, drizzle each with a generous tablespoon of olive oil, and finish with parsley and flaky salt.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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