Ribollita

Ribollita, translated from Italian, literally means "reboiled." But Ribollita sounds much more appetizing and appropriate for a such a delicious Tuscan soup. I just love how the name rolls off your tongue! Like most Tuscan cuisine, Ribollita has peasant origins. It has many variations as it's typically made from leftover soup reboiled the next day, but it is always vegetarian and contains cheap veggies, beans, and stale bread as a thickener.

I receive a produce box from a local farm each week. I never know what I'm going to get, but it's always fun coming up with dishes around fabulously fresh produce. Any leftovers or vegetables I don't know what to do with end up in Ribollita. This is good any time of year, but this hearty soup is especially delicious on a cold or rainy evening. 

Ingredients:

• olive oil
• vegetables: fennel, onion, celery, carrot, tomatoes, kale, cabbage, cooked potatoes, chard, etc. 
• salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups vegetable stock
• 1 can cannellini beans
• stale bread, crumbled
• pepper

1. In soup pot, heat olive oil over medium. Add vegetables that need to be softened such as the fennel, onion, celery, or carrot. Sprinkle generously with salt and saute until fragrant and soft. Add garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.
2. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and add beans and other vegetables such as tomatoes, kale, cabbage, chard, or potato. Cook until vegetables are soft.
3. Remove about half of the veggies and set aside in a bowl. Using immersion blender, slightly puree the soup remaining in the pot, but not too much. Add back in the veggies which were previously removed. 
4. Add the bread and allow to cook over low heat for 10 minutes. Season and serve.