Ribollita

A very Tuscan take on minestrone, plus four more hearty vegetables soups.

Italian cuisine abounds with vegetables soups, but for me perhaps the most delicious of all is the Tuscan classic called ribollita. It gets its name—which means 're-boiled'—from the fact that the soup is made ahead, layered with bread in a casserole (preferably made of terracotta), left to rest for at least a few hours and reheated just before serving.

The soup veritably sings Tuscany with its red onion, Tuscan kale and cannellinii beans—and sometimes leeks—all vegetables that typify Tuscan cookery. But it's the bread that sets ribollita apart from other minestrone type soups. It lends a hard to describe delicate flavor and creamy texture that, at least me, is out of this world delicious.

Thick and hearty but not at all heavy, for me this classic cold weather dish is actually most appealiing when the weather is chilly but not freezing cold. A bit like right now where I live. And unless you opt to add some pancetta to the flavor base, ribollita is vegan, which also makes it a toothsome choice for those who are observing the Lenten fast.

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Minestrone: A Primer

Many people think of minestrone as the kind of hearty fare best eaten in the cold weather months. It is wonderful in fall and winter, of course, but it can be enjoyed year-round. Its component ingredients change with the seasons, and it can be served hot in the winter, warm in the spring or autumn, and even ‘cold’ (ie, room temperature) in the summer. Like so many classic dishes, there are as many minestrone recipes as there are minestrone cooks.

While it takes some patience and basic knife skills, minestrone is a dish that’s well within reach of any reasonably capable home cook. And it’s so much better than anything you could buy! Make a big batch ahead—it tastes better after an overnight rest—and enjoy it at your leisure.

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Farinata di cavolo nero (Tuscan Kale and Polenta Soup)

When I think of Tuscan cuisine, first and foremost, even before the classic bistecca alla fiorentina as wonderful as that is, I think of its hearty vegetable soups. The best known of these soups is probably the ribollita, but one of the most memorable Tuscan soups I’ve ever had, years ago in a small trattoria in Florence, was called farinata di cavolo nero.

Farinata is quite similar to ribollita, but the thickener here is polenta (hence the ‘farina‘) rather than bread. I’ve been trying to replicate it at home for a long time, and this recipe, while it didn’t quite capture the magic of that first experience for me, came pretty close.

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Minestrone alla genovese

This minestrone take a very different tack from the standard recipe. There’s no soffritto to create a flavor base, no preliminary rosolatura of the vegetables. You just simmer beans and then all the rest of the vegetables in water, with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of olive oil. And perhaps a Parmesan rind if you have one on hand.

From the recipe you might think this soup would be utterly boring, but in fact it’s quite delicious. It gets its flavor from the vegetables themselves, enhanced by—what else, this being Liguria—a final enrichment of pesto genovese.

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Le virtù (Abruzzese “Seven Virtues” Minestrone)

Le virtù, literally meaning “the virtues”, is the signature Spring dish from Abruzzo. This version of minestrone takes it name from the Seven Virtues of Catholic catechism. Custom has it that you need 7 different legumes and 7 different vegetables to make it, plus, for the really hard-core traditionalist, 7 different meats, 7 different herbs and 7 different types of pasta, both dry and fresh. Some recipes take the metaphor even further, calling for 7 hours of cooking by—I kid you not— 7 virgins!

Well, if all of this sounds too elaborate for you, no worries. I may get myself into trouble with my friends from Abruzzo, but for this recipe, I’ve taken some liberties to come up with a recipe that should be manageable for most home cooks.