Many friends have asked for vegetarian recipes for those evenings when they want a break from a heavy, meaty meal.  With winter coming, this soup does the trick by providing a filling substitute.  For those of you that need a little taste, fear not, I give the option of adding bacon or pancetta.

Ribollita means re-boiled in Italian and it’s one of those really forgiving dishes.  In fact, the longer it sits, overnight even, the better.  The dish hails from Tuscany, where the traditional main ingredient is lacinato kale, plus other veggies and beans, and bread to thicken the soup.  I give you a few variations for incorporating the bread so it doesn’t feel like a bowl of mush.

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• 1 yellow or red onion, chopped

• 2 stalks celery, chopped

• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

• 2 slices turkey bacon, regular bacon or pancetta (optional and not at all required)

• 2 cloves garlic

• Either one large tomato, chopped and cored, or 2 cups of chopped tomatoes from a box or jar

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 bunch lacinato kale (if you can’t find, use swiss chard), cleaned and chopped. I don’t use the tough ends or ribs

• Salt and pepper

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (optional)

• 2 cans cannellini beans, or if you soak them overnight yourself, 2 cups soaked and cooked, divided in half

• Thickly sliced peasant bread

• Grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

In a heavy soup pot, slick the bottom with oil and bring up to medium heat.  Add the onions, carrots and celery and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If using bacon or pancetta, add to the pan and cook until crispy. Add the garlic and stir.  After a minute, add the chopped tomatoes and a tablespoon of tomato paste.  Stir until paste dissolves.  Add the stock and the kale and stir in salt, pepper, bay leaf and time.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes. If you used bacon or pancetta just for the flavor, you can remove the slices at this stage.

Meanwhile, puree half of the beans in a blender or mash with a potato masher in a bowl.  Add the mashed beans to the soup and stir.  Add the other cup of whole beans and let simmer another 20 minutes.  Turn off the soup and either let it sit on the stovetop until about ½ hour before you want to eat it, or cool it and refrigerate until the next day.

The soup should be thick but not like porridge.  Here’s where the bread comes into play and your own preference. You can cube the bread, which can be stale or fresh, and stir into the soup.  Let it simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring so the bread breaks up and thickens the soup.  Alternatively, you can slice the bread and heat it in the oven with a brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of cheese and parsley.  Either place a slice of toasted bread in a bowl and ladle the piping hot soup over the top of the bread so each person has a soup soaked slice in their bowl, or you can serve the slice of toasted bread on top of the soup if you don’t like the idea of mushy bread. Adjust for seasonings and serve hot.

Serve with grated Pecorino Romano cheese and red pepper flakes