The Ribollita is a typical dish of the Tuscan culinary tradition, whose recipe originates from the Middle Ages, when it was prepared and consumed by the poorest segments of the population.
In the Middle Ages, wealthy lords were served meat on unleavened bread focaccias, which were then given to the servants who boiled them with whatever ingredients they found.
▶ Usually prepared by farmers on Fridays, when religion and poverty dictated eating “lean” and what remained were bread, vegetables, and legumes.
▶ There is no real traditional recipe, but the essential elements are: the curly black kale of Tuscany, which traditionally must have “taken the ice,” meaning it should have been frozen during winter, cannellini beans, and the typical unsalted bread.
▶ Its peculiarity lies in the fact that it must be reheated at least twice.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very cheap
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 servings
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 5.3 oz dried cannellini beans (or borlotti or toscanelli)
- 7 oz savoy cabbage
- 8.8 oz black kale
- 5.3 oz Swiss chard
- 3.5 oz tomato (or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste)
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 2 onions
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
Tools
- 2 Cocotte earthenware/terracotta
Steps
Soak the beans overnight in water, then boil them.
Sauté one onion in the oil, add the tomatoes, the beans, and the chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Add 2 quarts of water and boil for about 2 hours.
Lay the bread on the bottom of earthenware containers, then pour over the ribollita.
Let it rest overnight.
Chop the other onion, sprinkle over the ribollita, and bake in the oven at 356°F for 15 minutes.
