Tuscany is a great place for food and wine, and the Ribollita soup is one of best and well known dishes from this part of Italy. Tuscany inhabitants commonly eat the hearty Ribollita soup during the winter when outside it’s very cold.
The recipe for Ribollita is below
1 cup dried beans (soak 8 hours overnight)
OR 3 cups canned beans
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, finely minced
4 big carrots, finely chopped
400 gr of pork meat
500ml vegetable stew
200g Savoy cabbage, quartered, cored and shredded
30g pack of fresh basil, torn, and persil
1 tablespoon of olive oil
grill to high and cook the pork meat 4-5 minutes until crisp.
In a pan with a big lid, slowly heat the oil and add the garlic and onion and carrots. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
Uncover the pan, introducing the beans (the beans can be any kind really, but it’s best if they are cannellini. You can mix two kinds of beans if you like), vegetable stock and 100ml of boiling water. Bring to a light boil, sporadically stiring the mixture. Introduce the cabbage and brew for 5 more minutes until the cabbage is supple.
Delicately rip the bacon into pieces and blend into the soup.
Divide the soup into individual bowls, freckle with the basil and deliver to guests with a plentiful dose of freshly pulverized black pepper, and breadsticks to warm ciabatta bread.
One suggestion, if you plan on serving Ribollita to guests, make it a day ahead to achieve the best flavour.
If you live outside of Italy, you may not find all the tried and true ingredients of the Ribollita soup, but with this recipe you will get as close as it gets!
Good luck, and let us know your results!
In your recipe for Ribollita soup you indicate when to introduce the beans but you dont say what kind of beans, how many, or if there is any preparation needed to the beans prior to “introducing them”. Can you clarify? thanks, Carol
Thanks. That is very helpful. I look forward to making it. Carol
You’re right Carol ! Thanks for letting me know!
regarding the beans, it does not really matter what kind of beans you
use…those from a can can also be used… white beans, red beans, or
if you want to experiment a bit you can also use bleack beans… I
would say size is the most important thing, as the beans should not be
larger or smaller than the red beans you buy at the supermarket. Of
course if you have the large Spanish or black beans, it works just
fine, too.
The quantity should be one cup (give or take) if they are dry (in
which case you need to let them soak overnight for 8 hours), or 3 cups
if canned beans.
No preparation is needed for the beans prior to introduction.
Hope I was clear enough… Let me know !!