Ribollita is a typical dish of the Tuscan culinary tradition, whose recipe dates back to the Middle Ages, a period during which it was prepared and consumed by the poorer layers of the population.
In the Middle Ages, wealthy lords would have meat served on unleavened bread focaccias, which were then given to the servants who would boil them with the ingredients they could find.
▶Usually prepared by peasants on Fridays, when religion and poverty required them to eat “lean” and what was left were bread, vegetables, and legumes.
▶There is no real traditional recipe, but the fundamental elements are considered to be: curly black kale from Tuscany, which traditionally should have “caught the frost,” meaning it should have frozen during the winter, cannellini beans, and the typical unsalted bread.
▶Its peculiarity is that it must be reheated at least twice.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 2 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 5 oz dried cannellini beans (or borlotti or toscanelli)
- 2/3 lbs savoy cabbage
- 1 lb black kale
- 5 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 in water overnight, then boil them.
Sauté one onion in the oil, add the tomatoes, beans, and chopped vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.
Add 2 liters of water and boil for about 2 hours.
Place the bread at the bottom of earthenware containers, then pour over the ribollita.
Leave to rest all night.
Chop the other onion, sprinkle over the ribollita, and heat in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes.
