Ribollita

Ribollita is a very traditional, hearty Tuscan soup that typically uses day-old bread to add body and thicken the broth.  There are many variations but the main ingredients always include leftover bread, cannellini beans and inexpensive vegetables such as carrot, cabbage, beans, chard, kale, and onion. Its name literally means "reboiled". This ribollita recipe uses a bean mash, which keeps the soup gluten-free and adds fiber. Garnish with extra-virgin olive oil or pepper and grated Parmesan.

Total Time: 1 1/4 hours
 
Ingredients (8 servings, about 1 3/4 cups each )

• 1 14-ounce can, low or no salt, whole peeled plum tomatoes
• 2 15-ounce cans, low-salt cannellini beans, rinsed, divided
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 medium leek, halved lengthwise and sliced (see Tip), white and light green parts only
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced zucchini
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 bunch kale or Swiss chard, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-wide slices
• 1/4 head Savoy or green cabbage, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups diced russet potatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• Crushed red pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Drain canned tomatoes, reserving the liquid. Dice the tomatoes. Using a potato masher, mash half the beans into a paste (add a bit of broth, if desired, to make mashing the beans easier). Set the tomatoes and beans aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add leek and garlic; cook, stirring, until translucent and tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Do not brown. Season with 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in carrots, celery and zucchini and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil; cook, stirring, until nearly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. When the carrots and celery are nearly tender, stir in kale (or chard) and cabbage. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Add potatoes, broth, water, the diced tomatoes and juice, the bean puree and whole beans, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Season with celery seed, crushed red pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally and reducing the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer, until all the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cleaning Leeks

• Leeks are infamous for containing sand…it’s just part of the deal. So, to clean leeks, trim and discard the green tops and the white roots. Split leeks lengthwise and place in plenty of water. Swish the leeks in the water to release any sand or soil. Drain. Repeat until no grit remains.

Nutrition

Per serving: 180 calories; 4 g fat ( 1 g sat , 3 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 33 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 8 g protein; 9 g fiber; 551 mg sodium; 512 mg potassium.