Bread Bean And Vegetable Soup Second Time Around Recipes

RIBOLLITA (VEGETABLE, BEAN AND STALE BREAD SOUP)

Steps:

• Variations: For a sweeter soup, add chopped fennel to your mix. For autumn, add zucchini or butternut squash to your blend.
• Drain the beans and place in a pot with 4 cups chicken stock, 1 clove garlic, half an onion and some salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread until deeply golden and toasted. Store in foil.
• Heat 1/4 cup EVOO, 4 turns of the pan, over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery, remaining 3 cloves garlic, chile flakes, bay leaf and herb bundle. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, partially covered, to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, kale, cabbage and a little nutmeg. Stir. Wilt the greens, partially covered, 5 to 6 minutes more. Add the beans and their liquids and the tomato puree. Stir. Add 2 cups more stock (reserve 2 cups for the night you serve). Add the cheese rind to the soup. Simmer to combine flavors, 15 minutes. Remove 3 cups of the beans and vegetables, about half the soup, to food processor and puree. Then add back to pot. Cool and store the soup for a make-ahead meal.
• To serve, heat the soup over medium heat, add the bread to the soup and let it absorb the liquid. Thin the soup with the remaining 2 cups of stock. Taste to adjust seasoning. Remove the herb bundle, rind and bay leaf. The ribollita is done when a wooden spoon can stand straight up in the soup. Ladle into shallow bowls and garnish with a generous drizzle of EVOO, finely chopped raw onion and cheese. Leftover soup can be fried in olive oil in a skillet like potato pancakes or hash, and topped with over easy or fried eggs.

BEAN AND VEGETABLE SOUP, FIRST TIME AROUND

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and bacon and cook until bacon bits are almost crisp. Add onions, celery and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, zucchini, tomatoes, cabbage, spinach and cook for about 10 minutes longer or until wilted. (If vegetables begin to stick, add some water.) Add the bean puree and whole beans, basil, broth, water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring liquid to a boil, and simmer, over low heat, stirring on occasion, for 20 minutes. Season well to taste with salt and pepper and ladle into hot deep bowls. Garnish with grated cheese to taste.

TUSCAN RIBOLLITA SOUP

Steps:

• Fit food processor with the steel blade attachment. With the motor running, drop garlic through the feed tube and allow it to mince. Drop in carrot and celery and allow to finely chop. Pieces should be the size of a pea or smaller. Set aside. Return the food processor bowl to the machine and add the onion chunks. Close the lid and pulse only until the onion is roughly chopped into medium-small pieces like a rustic dice.)
• Heat ½ cup olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium- high heat. Add the chopped carrot mixture, chopped onions and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables and onions are starting to take on brown color and the bottom of the pot is forming a golden browned patina (fond), 8 to 12 minutes.
• Increase heat to high and add in wine and bring to a simmer. Reduce the wine until it almost evaporates, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour in broth, water and tomatoes. Stir in cannellini beans, potatoes, cabbage and kale and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the potatoes are fork tender, 50 to 70 minutes.
• Stir the breadcrumbs into the soup along with the parsley, thyme and rosemary. Simmer again, pressing the potatoes and bread into the side of the soup pot to mash them with the spoon. Cook until the bread has almost dissolved, and the soup is very thick, about 15 minutes.
• Remove the soup from the heat. Stir in basil.
• Ladle ribollita into bowls and top with pepper and Pecorino. Serve with extra-virgin olive oil drizzled on top.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH, SECOND TIME AROUND

Steps:

• Heat the black beans with the peppers, chili sauce and some water just to make a stew like consistency. When bubbling hot, stir in the spaghetti squash to heat through. Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and sour cream if you can afford the calories.

BARLEY, BEAN AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Add the barley to a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, and then simmer for 45 minutes, or until the barley is tender. Rinse the grains under cold running water, drain well and set aside.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the zucchinis, potatoes, garlic and chard and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes more until the greens have wilted.
• Pour in the stock and water and bring everything to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add in the Cannellini beans and simmer for another 20 minutes. Return the barley, green beans and peas, and simmer for a final 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper, and grate the Parmesan over the dish before serving.

SECOND TIME AROUND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• With a food mill puree the leeks, carrots, and potatoes. Transfer the puree to a saucepan. Add enough broth to turn the puree into a souplike consistency and bring to a simmer. If desired, add heavy cream to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with snipped chives.

MAJORCAN BREAD AND VEGETABLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a large ovenproof casserole. Add the scallions and onion. When they begin to soften, after about three minutes, stir in the minced garlic, green pepper and parsley. Stir together for a minute or two, then cover and turn heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes, turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for five minutes. Add the cabbage, salt to taste and pepper. Cover, turn heat to low and cook slowly for 15 minutes. Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the spinach or chard, and bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer for five to 10 minutes until the greens are very tender and the broth is fragrant. Taste and adjust seasonings.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rub both sides of the bread with a cut clove of garlic. Place a layer of bread slices in a large earthenware casserole, and ladle on soup to cover. Make another layer of bread, and ladle on more soup to cover. Repeat with the remaining bread, and add the remaining soup. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil, transfer to the oven and bake 10 minutes, uncovered. Serve hot or warm.