Ribollita with winter greens
main | vegan | soup | winter | fave
January is all about wintry greens such as kale, which brings a bright and fresh note to verdant garlic pasta, and a deep and rich one to a hearty soup.
Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 6
Ingredients
olive oil for cooking
2 red onions, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
6 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped, yellow leaves reserved
1 small bunch fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 × 400g tin plum tomatoes
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
Parmesan rind (vegetarian), optional
1 × 400g tin white beans, liquid reserved
3 big handfuls cavolo nero or kale (about 400g), leaves stripped off stalks and roughly chopped
2 litres vegetable stock
4 slices good-quality bread (best if it’s a little stale)
extra-virgin olive oil, to finish
Method
Heat a little oil in a large saucepan and fry the onions, garlic, carrot and celery over a medium heat for about 30 minutes, until soft, sweet and slightly caramelised. Add most of the parsley and cook for a few minutes more.
Add the tomatoes, potato and parmesan rind, if using, squashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, and cook on a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring from time to time, by which time the tomato liquid should be almost completely absorbed and the veg should look quite dry.
Add the beans, tin juices and all, cavolo nero and the stock, bring to a gentle simmer, and leave to cook for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat and lay the slices of bread on top of the soup, like a lid. Generously drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and leave to sit for 10 minutes or so.
Stir to combine everything – the soup should be thick, almost stewy and deeply delicious – season with salt, pepper, more parsley, the yellow celery leaves and more extra-virgin olive oil. Ladle into bowls and serve.
The soup will thicken as it cools, so if you have leftovers, add more hot stock or water and reheat gently.
Note: try adding a handful of pearl barley at step 2.