Ribollita (Tuscan Bread & Vegetable Stew)

• 300 g stale Tuscan bread, torn into pieces
• 250 g cooked cannellini beans + their cooking water
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, chopped (include leaves)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 potato, diced
• 200 g cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), shredded
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• Optional recovery additions:
• Leftover cooked vegetables
• Herb stems
• Vegetable peel broth

1. 1 Sauté the soffritto
2. 2 Cook onion, carrot, and celery in olive oil until softened.
3. 3 Add the vegetables
4. 4 Add potato and cavolo nero; stir and cook for a few minutes.
5. 5 Incorporate beans
6. 6 Add cooked cannellini beans along with their cooking water.
7. 7 Simmer slowly
8. 8 Let the stew cook gently for 40–45 minutes until vegetables are tender.
9. 9 Add stale bread
10. 10 Stir in torn stale bread and allow it to absorb the broth.
11. 11 Rest the stew
12. 12 Let Ribollita cool and rest; this improves thickness and flavour.
13. 13 Reboil the next day
14. 14 Reheat the stew fully the following day to achieve the traditional dense texture.
15. 15 Adjust seasoning
16. 16 Taste and correct salt, pepper, and olive oil before serving.

Sustainability impact

Reduced food waste Lower carbon footprint Energy savings Educational value

Techniques

Other Uses