This Tuscan style ribollita appeared in last month's BBC Good Food magazine and originally featured back in September 2021.
Save up stale bread and transform it into this thick, chunky, delicious stew, which is low in fat and calories, and showcases tomatoes, beans and cavolo nero or kale.
The end result is a delicious Tuscan bread soup that is so full of flavour...it's comforting and hearty and perfect for heating you up on a cold day (it was snowing the day this was made earlier this month!).
Tips
- It’s important to use a stale crusty bread because it needs to be slightly robust – as the stew cooks, the bread absorbs the liquid and transforms into pillowy, dumpling-like chunks. If it’s too fresh, it will turn into soggy paste.
- Garnishes – try different flavours to garnish this Tuscan style ribollita, eg: chopped parsley, finely diced red onion, rendered smoked bacon lardons or quartered cherry tomatoes.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- a pinch of salt
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 400g can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 parmesan rind (optional)
- 250g cavolo nero or kale, chopped
- 150g stale crusty bread torn into chunks (see Tips)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve (see Tips):
- a few leaves of basil (optional)
- grated parmesan
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Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the rosemary sprig, tomatoes, stock, beans and parmesan rind, if using, and bring to a simmer. Add the cavolo and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir through the bread and cook for several minutes more to warm through, then add the vinegar and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with a little more oil and sprinkle with the basil, if using, and the grated parmesan.
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Tuscan Style Ribollita
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks finely chopped
- 1 carrot chopped
- a pinch of salt
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock
- 400g can cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 parmesan rind optional
- 250g cavolo nero or kale chopped
- 150g stale crusty bread torn into chunks (see Notes)
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve (see Notes)
- a few leaves of basil (optional)
- grated parmesan
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan or flameproof casserole over a medium heat and fry the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt for 15 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and chilli flakes, and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the rosemary sprig, tomatoes, stock, beans and parmesan rind, if using, and bring to a simmer. Add the cavolo and cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir through the bread and cook for several minutes more to warm through, then add the vinegar and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Spoon into bowls, drizzle with a little more oil and sprinkle with the basil, if using, and the grated parmesan.
Notes
- It’s important to use a stale crusty bread because it needs to be slightly robust – as the stew cooks, the bread absorbs the liquid and transforms into pillowy, dumpling-like chunks. If it’s too fresh, it will turn into soggy paste.
- Garnishes – try different flavours to garnish this Tuscan style ribollita, eg: chopped parsley, finely diced red onion, rendered smoked bacon lardons or quartered cherry tomatoes.
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