RIBOLLITA: TUSCAN TWICE COOKED BREAD AND BEAN SOUP
Serves 6 – 8, Two times
This is one of Tuscany’s most famous bean dishes. Freshly made, this is a hearty but brothy soup; reheated the next day, it becomes a deeply flavorful, almost porridgy stew.
1 pound dried zolfini or cannellini beans
Fruity extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1-1/2 cups chopped carrots
1 cup thickly sliced celery
1 medium all-purpose potato, peeled and thickly sliced
1 large bunch cavolo nero or black kale, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped canned Italian plum tomatoes
3 1/2- inch thick slices day-old country white bread, cubed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook beans according to the Tuscan-Style White Beans recipe following, reserving cooking liquid. Reserve 1 cup cooked beans; then purée remaining beans along with 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Set beans, purée, and remaining cooking liquid aside in three separate containers.
Heat 1⁄4 cup of the oil in a large earthenware casserole over medium-low heat. Add onions, and cook until soft, about 20 minutes. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, cavolo nero, stirring until mixed. Add tomatoes, cover, and cook until greens wilt, about 20 minutes.
Add puréed beans and as much cooking liquid as you like, and simmer, covered, until vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes. Add bread and reserved beans, stir gently, cover, return to a simmer, and cook until bread begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve. Refrigerate leftover soup.
The next day, preheat oven to 375º. Heat the leftover soup in the casserole in the oven, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 1 hour. For the last 30 minutes, do not stir; let soup brown lightly. Drizzle with another 1⁄4 cup oil, and serve.
Tuscan style white beans (Fagioli Lessi)
Serves 6 – 8
This simple preparation is a favorite way to prepare beans in Tuscany—home of the mangiafagioli, or bean eaters. NOTE: The cooking time for dried beans may vary; older beans often take longer to soften.
1 pound dried zolfini or cannellini beans
4 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4–5 fresh sage leaves
3–4 whole black peppercorns
6 cups rich chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sort through beans, discarding any small stones; then rinse beans under cold running water. Cover beans with cold water, and set aside to soak overnight. Alternately use the quick soak method.
Drain beans and add to a soup pot along with add the stock, 6 cups cold water, 2 tablespoons of the oil, garlic, sage, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil.
