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.
Photo: Ribollita Recipe
















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By venchic
Frankfort, IL
on March 03, 2013
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This soup is so good that I think my husband and I could eat it every week. It is beyond delicious!
By ann4art@att.net
San Antonio
on January 13, 2013
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Ina, I loved making this easy and wonderful soup. I have shared some of the soup with co-workers. Now they also want the receipt. Thank you! The only modification I made to this soup was canned cannelloni beans. This is be a family favorite!
By lphelan857
Glenview, IL
on December 04, 2012
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I've made this recipe for a couple of years now. I tried it only once with the savoy cabbage and didn't really like it so I omitted it. I DO use Lacinato Kale, which is what they taught us in Italy to use. You can find it at Whole Foods. In Italy they call it Black Cabbage. I love making this recipe. I also use 3 cans of canned beans and put one of the cans in the food processor to thicken it up. I also buy the pancetta in a package at the grocery store and its wonderful!
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