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Sourdough Ribollita FI

Sourdough Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean, Kale & Torn Sourdough Soup)

A thick, deeply savory Tuscan soup built to use up the heel of a sourdough loaf - torn bread simmers right into a pot of white beans, kale, and tomatoes until it turns almost stew-like. Real elevated-comfort cooking for the first cool week of fall.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Rest Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Soup
  • 45 g (3 Tbsp) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 150 g (1 medium) yellow onion, diced
  • 150 g (2 medium) carrots, diced
  • 100 g (2 stalks) celery, diced
  • 15 g (4 cloves) garlic, minced
  • 33 g (2 Tbsp) tomato paste
  • 400 g (1 14.5-oz can) crushed tomatoes
  • 960 g (4 cups) vegetable or chicken broth
  • 800 g (2 15-oz cans) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed, divided
  • 1 piece Parmesan rind (optional)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig (or 1 tsp dried) fresh rosemary
  • 140 g (4 cups packed) lacinato kale, stemmed and torn
  • 200 g (about 4 cups) day-old sourdough bread, torn into rough pieces
  • to taste fine sea salt and black pepper
  • for serving grated Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and extra olive oil

Equipment

  • Large pot or Dutch oven
  • Chef's knife and cutting board
  • Ladle
  • Wooden spoon

Method
 

  1. Sauté the vegetables. Heat the olive oil (45 g / 3 Tbsp) in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir in the garlic (15 g / 4 cloves) and tomato paste (33 g / 2 Tbsp), and cook 1-2 minutes, until fragrant and the paste darkens slightly.
  3. Build the soup. Add the crushed tomatoes (400 g), broth (960 g / 4 cups), one can of the beans mashed roughly with a fork for creaminess, the second can of beans left whole, the Parmesan rind, bay leaf, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer.
  4. Simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered 20-25 minutes, until the vegetables are fully tender and the soup has thickened slightly.
  5. Add the kale. Stir in the torn kale (140 g) and simmer 5 more minutes, until wilted and bright green.
  6. Add the bread. Remove the bay leaf, rosemary sprig, and Parmesan rind. Stir in the torn sourdough (200 g). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Rest. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the soup rest 15 minutes so the bread soaks up the broth and the whole pot thickens - this is the shortcut version of the 'reboiled' step ribollita is named for.
  8. Serve. Ladle into bowls and finish each with a drizzle of good olive oil, grated Parmesan, and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Notes

Ribollita means "reboiled" - it was originally made from yesterday's minestrone poured back over yesterday's bread. I've shortened that into one pot, but the spirit is the same: nothing here goes to waste, and the bread is doing real work, not just floating on top.
Use bread that's genuinely a day or two old, or lightly stale. Fresh soft bread turns to mush; a firmer, day-old sourdough holds just enough shape while still soaking up the broth.
This is one of the few soups that's better the next day, once the bread has had even more time to settle in. I usually make it the night before I want to serve it.