Ribollita (Reboiled Italian Cabbage Soup)

Recipe View Prepare the Beans: Sort and rinse the cannellini beans. Place them in a large pot with 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the beans stand for 1 1/2 hours. Drain the beans. (Total time: 1 hour 35 minutes)

Recipe View Simmer the Broth: In a large pot, combine the drained beans, chicken broth, minced garlic, sage leaves, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the beans are very tender, about 2 hours. Allow the mixture to cool slightly. (Total time: 2 hours)

Recipe View Puree and Reserve: Remove 1 cup of the cooked beans and set aside. Discard the bay leaves and sage leaves from the pot. Using an immersion blender, carefully blend the remaining bean mixture in the pot until smooth. Set the pureed bean mixture aside. (Total time: 10 minutes)

Recipe View Sauté the Vegetables: Heat 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a very large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they become translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the sliced carrots, chopped celery, potato chunks, chopped Savoy cabbage, Swiss chard, and Tuscan kale to the pot. Stir in the can of diced tomatoes. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. (Total time: 30 minutes)

Recipe View Simmer and Thicken: Cover the pot and cook until the greens have wilted, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in the pureed bean mixture and cook for another 40 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Stir in the reserved whole cannellini beans. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (Total time: 1 hour)

Recipe View Add the Bread: Add the lightly toasted slices of crusty Italian bread to the soup. Cook until the bread has soaked up some of the broth and softened slightly, about 10 minutes longer. (Total time: 10 minutes)

Recipe View Cool and Refrigerate: Allow the soup to cool completely, then cover and refrigerate overnight. This step is crucial for the flavors to meld and deepen. (Total time: Overnight)

Recipe View Reheat and Serve: The next day, reheat the Ribollita over low heat until it is heated through, about 20 minutes. (Total time: 20 minutes)

Recipe View Garnish and Serve: Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Serve immediately and enjoy!