Ribollita-Tuscan Minestrone
Ribollita means “boiled again” in Italian. Traditionally, the Tuscan-style minestrone is made on one day, then the leftover soup is reheated the next day and thickened with chunks of day-old crusty Italian bread or served over thick slices of toasted bread, which soften in the broth and absorb the vegetable flavors. True to its name, this soup tastes even better when it’s prepared a day or two ahead and reheated before serving.
Ingredients:
1 cup dried white beans such as baby Limas, great Northern or cannellini beans
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for garnish
1 1/2 cups chopped white onion
1/2 cup diced carrot (1/2-inch dice)
1/2 cup diced celery (1/2-inch dice)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
8 to 10 ounces Napa cabbage, halved, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch wide strips to make 2 1/2 to 3 cups
1 1/2 tablespoons sea salt, plus more if needed
8 ounces red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium yellow zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
6 ounces baby spinach
8 1/2-inch thick slices day-old artisan bread such as paisano, pane bello or farm bread
1 to 2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and halved
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese for garnish
Directions:
Rinse and sort through the beans to remove any pebbles. Put beans in a large bowl; cover with 3 cups of boiling water. Soak beans for 1 hour. Drain beans in a colander and reserve.
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy pot (with lid) over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onions, carrots, celery and sauté until just softened, for 3 to 4 minutes. Add minced garlic and rosemary and sauté 1 minute more.
Add 8 cups water, the reserved beans, tomatoes, cabbage, and 1 1/2 tablespoons salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook at a simmer, covered, for 1
hour.
Add potatoes, zucchini, and spinach; simmer, covered, until the potatoes and zucchini are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Taste soup and season with salt, as needed. (soup can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and refrigerate. Reheat over medium heat.)
When ready to serve, lightly toast the bread slices, then rub each piece on both sides with a cut garlic clove. Either place 1 bread slice in the bottom of 6 soup bowls and ladle soup over or ladle soup into 6 bowls and top each with a bread slice. Garnish each serving with Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 6