Ribollita

By maredan

Ingredients

• 3 * 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 * 4 slices thick-sliced bacon, diced
• 1 * 1 small leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
• 1 * 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 * 2 stalks celery, diced
• 2 * 2 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 * 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 * 8 cups chicken stock
• 3 * 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 * 1 smoked ham hock
• 3 * 3 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
• 2 * 2x14 ounce tins navy beans, drained and rinsed
• * salt and pepper
• 3 * 3 cups diced day-old white bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Directions

1. Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil and bacon. Cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and drain all but 2 Tbsp fat.
2. Add leek, onion, celery and carrot and sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
3. Add stock, thyme and ham hock and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Add cabbage and simmer 15 minutes more.
4. Puree 1 tin of navy beans with 1 cup of soup liquid and add to soup. Add remaining tin of beans to soup. Remove ham hock to cool. Season to taste.
5. Lay cubed bread in a deep baking or casserole dish. Shred meat from ham hock and sprinkle over bread. Ladle soup over bread and let cool. Chill soup overnight.
6. To serve, preheat oven to 375?F. Cover soup dish and heat until bubbling at edges, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.