Ribollita from ‘Everyone Is Italian on Sunday’
Every week, Yahoo Food spotlights a cookbook that stands out from all the rest. This week’s cookbook is Everyone is Italian on Sunday by Rachael Ray (Atria Books). A long-time Food Network star, Ray is the founder and editorial director of Everyday with Rachael Ray, and hosts her own syndicated talk show, Rachael Ray. Read more about Yahoo Food’s Cookbook of the Week here.
Photograph: Frances Janisch
By Rachael Ray
Ribollita
Serves 8 to 10
What makes my ribollita a bit different from the rest is that I always toast my torn, stale bread until it is deep golden brown, very nutty, and fragrant. Also, I add a rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to the stock or the soup itself, and (as I do with minestra and minestrone) I puree half the beans to give the broth some weight. The total weight of the dried beans for this soup should be ¾ pound.
½ cup dried borlotti beans
½ cup dried cannellini beans
½ cup dried chickpeas
2 onions: 1 halved, 1 quartered and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic: 1 smashed, 3 chopped
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 bulb fennel, trimmed, cored, quartered, and thinly sliced
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into half-moons
2 carrots, chopped
2 medium or 3 small ribs celery with leafy tops, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
Pepper
3 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade
½ small head green or savoy cabbage, chopped (2 to 3 cups)
1 bunch lacinato kale (also called black, Tuscan, or dinosaur kale) or Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped
2 cups passata or tomato puree
Rind from a small wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly grated nutmeg
6 slices (1 inch thick) peasant-style white bread, cut into coarse cubes or torn
Thinly sliced yellow or white onion, for serving
EVOO, for serving
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
Soak all the beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water to cover. (Or, quick-soak the beans: Place them in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water by 3 inches. Let stand for 1 hour.) Rinse the beans and transfer them to a pot. Add fresh water to cover the beans by 3 to 4 inches. Add the halved onion, smashed garlic, bay leaves, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Salt the water, reduce the heat to a low boil, and cook until tender, 35 to 45 minutes.
Discard the rosemary and bay leaves. Measure out and set aside half the beans. With an immersion blender, puree the remaining beans and cooking liquid in the pot (or transfer the beans to a blender and puree in batches).
Meanwhile, in a large soup pot, heat the oil (4 turns of the pan) over medium to medium-high heat. Add the fennel, leek, carrots, celery, sliced onion, chopped garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the stock, cabbage, kale, passata, reserved beans, bean puree, Parm rind, and some nutmeg. Adjust the seasonings. Bring to a bubble, then reduce to a simmer.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and toast until deep golden. Add the bread to the soup.
Serve in warmed shallow bowls topped with sliced onion, a generous drizzle of EVOO, and grated Parm.
Reprinted with permission from Everyone is Italian on Sunday by Rachael Ray (Atria Books).
More delicious ways to eat kale:
Warm Salad of Roasted Kale, Coconut, and Tomatoes from ‘A Modern Way To Eat’
Barefoot Contessa’s Parmesan Kale Chips
Shrimp. Clams. Kale. Pasta. Dinner Served
