Throughout the long cold winter months we experience here in the OH-IO, Mr. E. and I eat different kinds of soup for lunch nearly every day of the week. For Christmas this year I received two of the Barefoot Contessa cookbooks (oh joy!) and have tried out the Ribollita from the "At Home" collection.... It is made with a bounty of fresh vegetables and filled with fiber (now is when we really need the farm share...) and smelled delicious while cooking... I doubled the recipe because if not I would have had half a head of cabbage, 1/2 lb of kale as leftovers....
Ingredients
* 1/2 pound dried white beans, such as Great Northern or cannellini
* Kosher salt
* 1/4 cup good olive oil, plus extra for serving
* 1/4 pound large diced pancetta or smoked bacon
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
* 1 cup chopped carrots (3 carrots)
* 1 cup chopped celery (3 stalks)
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic (6 cloves)
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1 (28-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
* 4 cups coarsely chopped or shredded savoy cabbage, optional
* 4 cups coarsely chopped kale
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
* 4 cups sourdough bread cubes, crusts removed
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, for serving
Directions
In a large bowl, cover the beans with cold water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to soak overnight in the refrigerator.
Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and continue to simmer for about 15 minutes, until the beans are tender. Set the beans aside to cool in their liquid.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large stockpot. Add the pancetta and onions and cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes with their puree, the cabbage, if using, the kale, and basil and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 7 to 10 minutes.
Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree half of the beans with a little of their liquid. Add to the stockpot, along with the remaining whole beans. Pour the bean cooking liquid into a large measuring cup and add enough chicken stock to make 8 cups. Add to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
Add the bread to the soup and simmer for 10 more minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve hot in large bowls sprinkled with Parmesan and drizzled with olive oil.
Garten, Ina (2006). Barefoot Contessa At Home. p. 38-39.
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