I think it’s true that the more you cook, the craftier you become. When I first started out in the kitchen, I would follow every recipe to a tee. If I had purchased ingredients for a certain dish and failed to use them, I had a hard time re-working them into something else. I was probably more wasteful than I would’ve cared to admit.
But as with anything that you practice, over time I became more comfortable and loosened my grip on the instructions. I started finding new ways to use the things that I had in my refrigerator. As I became more interested in wellness, I added greens to everything. I still do this, and if my Dad asks “No, that is not kale”. (When well concealed, he will eat it and love it and be none the wiser. Trust me.)
It’s my guess that most soup recipes start this way; a kind of/sort of concept, a pinch of this, a handful of that, and a lot of whatever needs to be consumed before it spoils. Ribollita is a perfect example of that notion. Herbs, beans, vegetables, cheese rinds, and stale bread – better for its texture – are simmered and (here) baked until the once meager components meld to become a delicious whole. The result is pretty magical, actually.
My Mom would make ribollita for my sister and me as kids, tearing the bread and stirring it in at the very end of the cooking so that it essentially melted into the soup. While I still love that preparation, I’ve found that I also love this method, via the New York Times, which calls for placing the entire pot in the oven, ultimately producing an extra crispy crust. How you choose to finish the soup is up to you, but bonus points are in order if you decide to use a cheesy bread too.
For my local friends, I purchased the bread pictured from Our Daily Bread (at the Troy Farmers’ Market, where I also picked up that teeny bouquet and the gorgeous greens), and would recommend any of the specialty loaves at Pastabilities (Cheddar Oregano, Asiago Focaccia, etc.) in this case, as well.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 slices prosciutto
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 ribs celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups chopped kale
- 4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from the stems
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed from the stem and chopped
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 15-ounce can Cannellini beans
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 4 slices slightly stale bread
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Heat one tablespoon of the olive oil in a stock pot set over medium-high heat. Add the prosciutto to the oil and cook, turning occasionally until browned and crisp. Remove from the pot and place on a paper towel-lined plate to remove any excess grease.
- Add the additional tablespoon of olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic, kale, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes, and herbs to the pot, and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in the tomatoes, Cannellini beans, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until the tomatoes are broken up and some of the liquid has reduced.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the bread in the warmed oven and lightly toast.
- Cover the cooked soup with the toasted bread (in a single layer), Parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil. Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the bread is lightly browned. To serve: spoon the soup out as is, with a crusty "crouton" on top, or gently mash the bread into the soup (The way that my Mom would!).
Anonymous
October 31, 2016 at 9:26 AMI will make this for dinner tonight!! Can’t wait to taste it!