Ribollita is one of the recipes most associated with Tuscan cooking, or cucina povera. The poor Tuscan farmer would have a pot of soup on the stove, and every day he’d add a little more water and a little bit of whatever was available to him. Hence the name ribollita, which means “to reboil.”
Start with the soffritto: In a soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot, celery, and prosciutto rinds (if using). Sauté until the vegetables soften and the prosciutto rinds brown, then add the potatoes, savoy cabbage and cavolo nero, salt and pepper. Once all the vegetables have wilted, add the borlotti beans. I like to mash up most of them with the back of the spoon, to thicken the soup and give it some texture, but don’t you dare make this perfect! You want it to be rustic and uneven. For me, the more texture, the more taste. Add the tomato purée, stock and bread. Some recipes suggest that you leave the bread out of this step and instead put a slice in each serving bowl and pour the soup over it. But I prefer to add the bread to the soup at this point and stir it every so often so the bread softens, breaks up and creates that nice thick pappa consistency that ribollita is known for. When it’s finished cooking, I always let it sit for about an hour off the heat so the flavors can really come together. Serve it with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Some people like it soupy, but I prefer it thick enough that I can use a fork. I also like to eat it slightly warmer than room temperature, with a good drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.Ribollita
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Tuscan Ribollita
