Bean Institute

Tuscan Bread and Bean Soup

Ribbolita is a classic Tuscan dish, a celebration of beans, seasonal vegetables, and the first press of extra virgin olive oil. The addition of bread turns a light soup into a satisfying dish that can be served as a main course. Add another layer of flavor by grating some aged Parmeggiano Reggiano over the top before service or at the table.

Ingredients	Amount
Cranberry beans*	2 cups
Bay leaves	2 ea.
Garlic cloves, peeled, divided	4 ea.
Celery stalks, chunked	1 ea.
Carrots, peeled, chunked	2 ea.
Onion, peeled, chunked	1 ea.
Leek, white part only	1 ea.
Extra-virgin olive oil	¾ cup
Savoy cabbage, cored and cut into chiffonade	½ ea.
Swiss chard stemmed and cut into chiffonade	1 bu.
Water	5 cups
Salt, kosher
Black pepper, freshly ground
Country bread loaf, day-old, crust removed	½ ea.

Method

1. Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight. Cook the beans with the bay leaves and 2 of the garlic cloves until they are soft, about 1 hour. Strain them, reserving 1 cup of the liquid to add to the soup.

2. In a food processor, shred the remaining 2 cloves of garlic with the celery, carrot, onion, and leek until very fine; still with tiny pieces of the vegetables, not a purée.

3. Sauté the vegetables in ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil on medium-low heat, about 10 minutes, or until it is fragrant and slightly colored.

4. Add the cooked beans and the 1 cup cooking water, cabbage, chard, and water. Bring to a simmer and cook for approximately one hour. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Crumble the stale bread into small chunks and place a handful of the bread in each bowl. Ladle the soup over it and let it sit for a few minutes for the bread to soften and the broth to be absorbed. Finish each bowl with extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.

*Note: In place of cranberry beans, you may use pinto beans, they are both tender, mealy brown beans whose spots disappear when cooked.

Yield: 6 portions