Recipes

Ribollita

Serves 4 people

Ingredients
200ml olive oil
2 carrots peeled and finely chopped
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 sticks celery, finely chopped
200g cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
200g kale or cabbage, washed and shredded
400g cooked beans (cannellini/borlotti or lentils)
2 litres vegetable or chicken stock
150g stale country style bread, such as ciabatta
Salt and pepper

Method
In a large saucepan, add the olive oil followed by the carrots, onions, celery and cauliflower. Cook over a moderate heat until the vegetables are soft before adding the garlic and the shredded cabbage. Cook for another 5 minutes before adding the beans and stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Tear the stale bread into chunks and add to the soup. If the bread is too fresh, dry it in the oven first as fresh bread will break up too much and dissolve in the soup. Leave the soup for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to mix and the bread to soak them up.

The soup should be now thick enough to serve with a fork which always confuses people at the restaurant……..

Reheat the soup over a low heat and serve.