Hey, vegetable lovers, this post for you! You will like this hearty Italian soup with plenty of veggies. Ribollita is a bit similar with minestrone but with divine taste of tomato. Floury potato, instead of a pasta, makes the dish is very nutritious. I love this soup all seasons, in winter and summer. It will perfectly warm you in the winter time and will shine in the summer menu of seasonal vegetables.
Ribollita means reboiled soup. This soup is really delicious when you warm it up the next day. But actually, I like to eat it immediately, when the vegetables still keep their beautiful color and nutrients. If you want to save the vibrant color of tender green vegetables such as zucchini, cabbage and Cavolo nero I recommend to add it at the end of cooking, they usually need only a few minutes to be ready.
There are two ways to thicken this soup. The first way is to add mashed cannellini beans. Cannellini beans are rich in protein, which is very good because the dish is vegetarian. The second way is to add breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs are a great way if you need to thicken something or add the volume for dishes such as soup, burger patty or Shepherd’s Pie. Gluten-free bread crumbs will work too in case if you avoid the gluten. I decided to combine both ways and added mashed beans and bread crumbs, it works really nice. I got thick luscious soup and really happy with a result.
Ingredients
3 – 4 Serves
- 400ml Can of Cannellini beans (I use organic beans from Ceres), rinse and strain
- 2 Agria potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 Carrot, peeled and cubed
- 2 Celery stalks, chopped
- Half a large leek, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, then washed and sliced.
- 3 Small zucchini, cubed
- 400ml Can of cherry tomatoes in tomato juice, or 1 punnet of fresh cherry tomatoes, skinless
- 1,5 L Vegetable stock
- 3 Savoy cabbage leaves (only green part without stems), sliced into cubes
- Bunch of Cavolo Nero, only green part without stems
- 2 Garlic cloves, crushed and sliced
- 2 Tbsp breadcrumbs, preferably gluten-free
- Two bay leaves
- Small bunch of thyme
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Teaspoon fennel seeds
- Pinch of Dried chili flakes
- Sea Salt
- Black pepper
For serving:
- Chopped parsley leaves
- Fresh crusty bread (My fav is French sourdough with seeds from Huckleberry Farm)
- Good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
I prefer to buy organic vegetables when it possible. This high quality produce grown on small farms without the use of nasty chemicals and pesticides. In addition, this is a great way to support small businesses at a time when corporations cover the whole world.
Directions
- Heat a saucepan with a splash of olive oil and add carrots, leek, celery, and garlic to the pan with a pinch of salt, ground fennel seeds, and chili. Sweat very slowly on a low heat until soft, but not brown. Add the potato, thyme, bay leaf and vegetable stock and bring to a simmer, cook till potato is soft.
- Take half the beans and mash them using a fork.
- Add bean puree and whole beans, savoy cabbage, cavolo nero, zucchini, and tomatoes. Bring the soup back to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer until all the vegetables are tender.
- Season the Ribollita with salt and pepper and stir in bread crumbs. Serve hot in large bowls with parsley leaves, fresh crusty bread, and olive oil. Enjoy!
