RIBOLLITA

By TPMay

Ingredients

• 3 cups dried white cannellini or brown borlotti beans (soaked in cold water overnight, drained and fully cooked)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (plus 1/2 cup)
• 1 medium red onion (1/2-inch dice)
• 2 cloves garlic (peeled & thinly sliced)
• 1 medium carrot (peeled and chopped into 1/4-inch thick half moons)
• 2 ribs celery (chopped into 1/4 inch pieces)
• 2 waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 4 cups reserved bean liquid
• 1 cup Basic Tomato Sauce or store-bought marinara sauce
• 1 bunch Swiss chard (sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons)
• 2 bunches black kale (Cavolo Nero, sliced into 1/2-inch ribbons)
• 1 loaf country bread (sliced and toasted or grilled, to serve)
• 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano (freshly grated)
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

Preparation

Step 1

The day before, place beans in a large bowl. Cover with cold water. Place in the refrigerator and let soak overnight.
Drain the beans and rinse. In a medium-sized pot, add the beans, cover with water and place over high heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Gently simmer beans until tender, about 1 hour. Reserve 4 cups of cooking liquid. Drain the beans and allow to cool.
Place a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup oil, onion and garlic, and cook until soft. Add carrots, celery, potatoes, 2 cups of cooked beans, 4 cups of bean cooking liquid (or water) and basic tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Lower heat, add chard, kale, black cabbage and simmer 1 1/2 hours until everything is soft. Add remaining beans and adjust seasoning. Allow to cool and rest overnight.
The following day, bring to a boil and serve in shallow bowls over toasted bread. Finish with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Helpful Tips:
- Use canned beans instead of dried to speed up the cooking process!
- After a couple days, the soup will become very thick. Fry the thicken mixture in a nonstick pan like a pancake! Serve with grated Parmesan on top and grilled bread on the side.
- Rub the toasted bread with garlic for added flavor!