Ribollita

When winter seems like it will never end, your steam heat isn’t trying hard enough and you just can’t get warm, and to top things off, you have a bunch of sad, stale bread lying around (ok, maybe this has just been my life recently . . .), it is time to make ribollita. Many of the ingredients in this Tuscan peasant soup are probably already in your refrigerator and pantry, so convince your roommate/significant other to run out and buy some Tuscan kale (also known as lacinato, black kale, or dinosaur kale), and start cooking!

ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 medium stalks celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small bunch Tuscan kale, large stems removed, leaves and small stems thinly sliced
• 1 14.5 oz can chopped tomatoes, with their juice
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 or 2 pecorino or parmesan rinds
• 3 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 3 cups water, bean cooking liquid, or a combination
• 1/2 cup dried cannellini beans, cooked, cooking liquid reserved; or 1 14.5 oz can cannellini beans, drained
• salt and pepper to taste
• stale baguette chunks
• pecorino or parmesan for grating

1. In a large pot, heat one tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat for about one minute. Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 10 minutes, until onion softens and turns translucent. Add kale and garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes more.
2. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, thyme, cheese rinds, broth, and water/bean cooking liquid, and stir. Increase heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cooked beans to the pot and cook uncovered for 30 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Fish out the bay leaves and cheese rinds, and season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, place a stale baguette chunk in each bowl, ladle soup over. Drizzle generously with olive oil, and grate some pecorino or parmesan on top.

This soup actually tastes even better the next day, and it keeps for three or four days.