Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean Stew)
Ribollita, part of Tuscany’s cucina di povera (literally, “poor man’s cuisine”), tells the story of how people survived on what they had on hand, striving to waste nothing. For instance, they brought dried-out bread back to life by drenching it in olive oil. In this recipe, homemade croutons, made with day-old bread, top a hearty and warming Tuscan white bean soup that’s even tastier the day after it’s made.In late-fall and winter seasons, Mezze frequently had leftover Berkshire Mountain Bakery baguettes, and Chef Nick Moulton developed a ribollita recipe to provide a home for the bread ends. In this recipe, redesigned for the home cook, Chef focuses on the quality of the bean. He is a big fan of the gigante bean and especially prefers the canned ones from Divina. He says they taste like “pillows of potato puree.” If you prefer cannellini, great northern, or butter beans, they can also be substituted in this recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion (small dice)
- 2 cups diced carrot (large dice)
- ½ cup diced celery (small dice)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup garlic, minced
- 3 cups Divina gigante tinned beans, strained
- 1 bouquet garni of rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves, tied together in cheesecloth
- ½ pound Savoy cabbage, sliced
- ½ pound Tuscan kale (lacinato or dinosaur kale), roughly chopped
- ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
- 1½ cups croutons, made from leftover bread (recipe below)
- ¾ cup grated hard Italian cheese, such as Grana Padano, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Piave Vecchio, Pecorino Romano
- ½ cup minced chives (for garnish)
CROUTONS
- Day-old bread
- Olive oil to coat
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add onions, carrots, and celery, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they are translucent.
- Add garlic and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The goal is to soften the vegetables and not allow them to achieve any color.
- Add the beans and the bundle of herbs. Cover by about 1 inch of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the sliced cabbage and chopped kale and cook for another 15 minutes until tender. Turn the heat off and season with additional salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the vinegar in small increments and taste each time, to your liking. Add more if needed. It should begin to taste bright!
- Serve the Ribollita in bowls with generous amounts of croutons, grated cheese, and chives. An additional drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil finishes each bowl.
CROUTONS
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Cut the bread into 1-inch croutons and saturate with olive oil in a mixing bowl.
- Season with salt and lay out in single layer on a baking sheet.
- Cook for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Allow to fully cool before storing any leftover croutons in an airtight container.
Notes
Chef says there are many variables when cooking with dried beans—overnight soaking, making sure not to add particular items to the pot until a certain stage to allow even cooking, high- and low-energy heat variables, etc. That’s why this recipe focuses on the canned variety.
If you’re confident cooking with dried beans, please swap in. Look for brands that have consistent and abundant heirloom selections, such as Rancho Gordo.
From January through April 2024, Mezze Chefs Moulton and Kevin Orcutt will take diners on a culinary trip through Italy with “Breaking the Boot,” a study of Italian cuisine, moving from the northern regions to the south and then the Italian islands.
“We chose to put our efforts into a focus on Italy because it speaks to the Mediterranean influences of our food at Mezze,” says Chef Moulton. “And it puts an exclamation on our ingredient-driven pasta dishes—something that we are known for and passionate about. Pastas will be handmade with several of our whole-grain flours milled in house.”