Ribollita is one of those gorgeous dishes you can chuck together from many things you would find in your kitchen already. Basic veg, tinned goods and a hunk of stale bread all come together to make a bowl of food that makes you feel astonishingly nourished. Those clever people in Tuscany did something magical the day that they decided to thicken a broth with stale bread.
Serves 3
1 onion
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
1 clove of garlic
120g kale
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes
400g tinned whole plum tomatoes
400g tinned cannellini beans
500g stock (chicken or veg is fine)
1 sprig of rosemary
120g stale bread
a parmesan rind, plus parmesan to serve
fresh basil leaves, to serve
salt, pepper and olive oil
Peel your onion and finely dice it.
Get a generous glug of olive oil in a casserole dish, then add your onion. Cook it for 10 minutes until it starts to soften.
Meanwhile, peel and dice your carrots into small chunks. Dice your celery to the same size. Peel and finely chop your garlic. Pull your kale leaves off their stalks, and tear them into pieces.
Get the rest of your diced veg into the onion pan, along with your garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes, then cook them for another 5 minutes.
Drain your tinned tomatoes from their juices, and drain your tinned beans too. Squeeze the tomatoes directly into the pan with your hands, then add your cannellini beans, stock, kale, rosemary sprig and parmesan rind. Tear your stale bread into pieces and chuck this in too.
Bring the pan up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add a lid to the pan, then simmer it gently for 20 minutes.
Remove your rosemary sprig and parmesan rind from the pan, then tear in your fresh basil leaves. Season it to taste with salt and pepper, and loosen it with a little water if needed to get it to a thick but spoon-able consistency
Spoon your ribollita into bowls, and finish it with a drizzle of olive oil, more parmesan and some fresh basil leaves. Serve it up