Rachs Ribollita Recipe
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)
- 4 slices pancetta (not smoked) or bacon (smoked)
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1 medium onion
- 2 medium carrots
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced into rounds
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 6 cups beef stock (such as Kitchen Basics brand, available in boxes)
- 4 cups chopped or torn stale bread
- 1 (15.5 ounce) can small white beans (smaller than cannellini beans), such as Goya brand
- 4 cups chopped kale or chard
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
- 10 leaves fresh basil, torn
- Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the EVOO (3 turns of the pan), then add the pancetta and cook for 4 minutes. Add the garlic, three-quarters of the chopped onion, the carrots and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook the veggies for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the wine to deglaze the pot. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and bring up the heat. When the soup boils, reduce it to a simmer and stir in the bread and beans. Pile the greens into the pot and wilt them into the soup.
- Simmer the ribollita for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring the soup as it simmers, until it thickens to a dense stew-like consistency. Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top each bowl with some of the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, an additional drizzle of EVOO, a spoonful of the reserved raw onion and some basil. Pass around the remaining cheese at the table.
