Spring Cleaning Ribollita Recipes

RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, pancetta, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onion is golden brown and the pancetta is crisp, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir until dissolved. Add tomatoes and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits. Add the spinach, beans, herbs, stock, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Drizzle the ciabatta halves with olive oil. Toast until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and rub the top of the toasts with the whole garlic clove. Place the toasts in the serving bowls and ladle the soup over the toasts. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

SPRING CLEANING RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium. Add leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 minutes. Add carrot, Swiss chard stems and the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crush the tomatoes over the pot with your hands, stir them in with their juice and cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, basil sprigs, thyme sprigs, Swiss chard leaves and 8 cups of water, and season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in peas, beans and bread, and cook, stirring and mashing up the bread, until most of the bread dissolves and soup thickens, about 10 minutes. Discard basil and thyme sprigs, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide soup among bowls and finish with the chopped basil. Garnish with cheese, if desired.

RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and celery; cook until crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add next 7 ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, 15-20 minutes. , Stir in bread; cook and stir until bread is softened. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

TUSCAN-STYLE RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt for 15 mins until soft. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1 min.
• Stir in the rosemary sprig, tomatoes, stock, beans and parmesan rind, if using, and bring to a simmer. Add the cavolo and cook, covered, for 10 mins. Stir through the bread and cook for several minutes more to warm through, then add the vinegar and season. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with a little more oil and sprinkle with the basil, if using, and the grated cheese.

WINTER RIBOLLITA

Steps:

• Rinse the white beans and place in a stock pot.
• Cover with water, bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let them sit for a couple hours.
• If water had boiled down add more so beans are covered again, add seasonings and simmer until barely done.
• Saute onions and carrots in olive oil for several minutes and add celery, chard, and garlic. Add more oil if needed and cook 10 minutes.
• Add tomatoes, beans, and a heel of parmigiano, if available.
• Add enough stock to cover, bring to a boil and simmer 1 hour. Remove from heat.
• Add bread and let rest for several hours.
• Reheat and add parsley. Pour into bowls and top with grated parmigiano if desired.