Rachs Ribollita Is The Leftovers Meal That Keeps On Giving Recipes

RACH'S RIBOLLITA IS THE LEFTOVERS MEAL THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

Steps:

• For the beans: Soak the beans overnight
• Rinse and place in pot and cover by about 3 inches with water
• Add onion, garlic, bay, and bring to boil
• Reduce heat, salt beans liberally and cook 40-50 minutes to tender
• Remove onion, garlic and bay, and reserve beans and what is left of cooking liquid
• For the soup: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with EVOO, 4 turns of the pan
• Add carrot, celery, onions, leek, garlic and season with salt and pepper
• Add herb bundle, partially cover and sweat the vegetables to soften 10 minutes, then add greens, wilting them in in stages, and season with a little freshly grated nutmeg
• Add stock, tomatoes, and rind and simmer 45 minutes, then cool and store
• Reheat the soup over moderate heat and combine with the beans and their liquid
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F
• Arrange the bread on tray and bake to deeply golden brown
• Stir the bread into the soup
• When soup is thick enough for spoon to stand upright, it's done
• Serve soup in bowls topped with raw onion, EVOO and cheese

RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Heat a deep, heavy bottomed pot over moderate heat. Add oil, garlic, onions, carrots, celery and bay to the pot. Season vegetables with salt and pepper and saute until they begin to soften 5 to 7 minutes. Add beans, stock and tomato sauce. Bring soup to a boil over medium high heat. Remove lid and stir in torn stale bread. Stir soup and incorporate bread as it breaks down. When soup is becomes thick and bread is distributed evenly, adjust seasoning and serve the soup in shallow bowls. Some ribolittas are so thick, the spoon can stand upright. This is a subjective technique. Make yours as thick or thin, as you like with the addition of either more bread or additional stock or water.
• Top shallow bowlfuls of soup with thinly sliced or finely chopped raw onion, a drizzle of extra- virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.