Friday, February 02, 2007

Ribollita

Ingredients:
1-1/2 T olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, trimmed, washed and htinly sliced
2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/2 head cabbage, cored, cut crosswiseinto 1/4 inch strips
1 bunch kale, collard greens, or Swiss chard, stemmed, washed, and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
2 large ripe tomatoes
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks
6-8 cups beed cooking liquid, chicken broth, or vegetable broth (not the liquid from canned beans, it's too salty)
1 prosciutto bone or heel of parmigiano reggiano (optional)
1 herb bundle made by tying together 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of basil, and 1 sprig of parsley
salt and fresh ground black pepper
3 cups cooked cannellini beans (2-15 ounce cans or 1-1/2 cups dried, precooked, which takes a couple of hours) (You can substitute white beans or navy beans if cannellini are too hard to find)

6 thick slices Tuscan or dense country style bread, preferably a little stale

Directions:
Heat the oilve oil in a large pot. Add the onion, leek, celery and carrots and cook over medium heat until the onions are sof and translucent but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add cabbage, kale, tomatoes, potatoes, bean liquid, bone and herb bundle. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer gently until vegetables are tender, about 20-30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add beans and continue cooking until beans and vegetables are very soft. Correct seasoning.
Serve soup over lightly toasted bread slices with a drizzle of olive oil. Soup is often best if it has a chance to sit for awhile after it's done and before serving.

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