Ribollita

A winter storm was coming, so I went out to cut the last of the cavolo nero before it froze. That's how ribollita usually starts for me, the cold pushes you toward it. It's a Tuscan soup built on three cheap things: kale, white beans, and stale bread. The name means "reboiled," which tells you the most important part. It's better the second day than the first.

Ingredients:

• 400g cannellini beans, soaked overnight

• 200g Tuscan kale (cavolo nero), shredded into ribbons

• 100g stale bread, cut into thin slices or small cubes

• 1 white onion, diced

• 2 garlic cloves, 1 of them minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 sprig rosemary

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Cook the Beans:

   • After soaking the beans overnight, rinse them and place them in a pot with 1 whole garlic clove, the rosemary sprig, and the bay leaf. Cover with water about 1.5 inches above the beans.

   • Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the beans are almost tender.

   • Add 2 teaspoons of salt and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.

2. Prepare the Kale Base:

   • In a large pot, sauté the diced white onion in extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until translucent.

   • Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.

   • Stir in the shredded kale and cook for about 10 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.

3. Blend and Combine:

   • Blend 1/4 cup of the cooked beans with about 1 cup of the reserved bean liquid using a blender or immersion blender. Set the puree aside.

   • Pour the remaining bean liquid into the pot with the kale and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook for about 20 minutes.

4. Thicken the Soup:

   • Add the bean puree and the stale bread to the pot. Stir well and cook for 10 minutes, allowing the bread to break down and thicken the soup.

5. Finish and Serve:

   • Stir in the whole beans and let the soup cook until it thickens to a hearty consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

   • Serve immediately or save for the next day, ribollita’s flavors deepen beautifully overnight.

   • Finish with a generous pour of good olive oil.