Tuscan Ribollita, a dish of Tuscan peasant tradition, is essentially a soup of stale bread and vegetables such as kale and savoy cabbage. The sanctity of bread in Tuscany is very strong, leading them to cook dishes and recycle rather than having to throw away stale bread. I must say they are masters at this! Personally, I adore ribollita, I love vegetables and kale, the main ingredient which I often prepare simply with stewed potatoes in a pan, apart from this dish. Like pappa al pomodoro or acqua cotta, typical Tuscan dishes. Ribollita is more suited for a winter dish, but I assure you that it is just as delightful when lukewarm, I would say super!
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Cheap
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Tuscany
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients to prepare the ribollita
- 1.76 lbs kale
- 1.10 lbs savoy cabbage
- 3 carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 1 onion
- 14 oz potatoes
- 8.82 oz Tuscan beans
- 8.82 oz peeled tomatoes
- 3.53 oz extra virgin olive oil
- 1.41 tsp salt
- 1 pinch pepper
- 1 hot chili
Tools to prepare the ribollita
- Blender
- 1 Steel Pan
- 1 Cutting Board
Preparation of Tuscan Ribollita
To prepare ribollita, you need dried Tuscan beans (but if you have Tondini or Cannellini beans, they will work just as well). Start the preparation the night before by soaking the beans. Given this, begin the dish in the morning by boiling the beans in ample water, which you will later use to cook the ribollita.
Prepare a base with the onion, carrot, celery, chili pepper, and extra virgin olive oil; immediately add the tomatoes, two potatoes, and two glasses of water. Cover and let cook for half an hour.
When the vegetables are cooked, puree them with a chopper and set them aside for later use.
Chop up all remaining vegetables and place them in a large pan, starting with chopped carrots, celery, and onions.
Proceed with chopping the kale after washing it well, and the savoy cabbage, which you will add to the pan with the mixed sauté. Do the same with the potatoes, after peeling them, chop them into cubes and add them to the ribollita.
Add a few handfuls of beans and cover with the bean cooking water and cook for 50 minutes.
After the cooking time, add the base you prepared earlier, the rest of the beans, raw olive oil, and when serving, croutons of bread
Here is the ribollita ready.
Notes
Can other types of beans be used in ribollita?
All types of beans are suitable for ribollita, although the most recommended are the Tuscan or Tondini beans.
Can canned beans be used?
Yes, certainly, canned beans will also work well.
