Rebollita
(Tuscan Vegetable and Bread Soup)
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Rebollita means "reboiled," and was primarily a soup made
by the peasants of Tuscany. It focuses on using fresh vegetables
from the garden, as well as day-old bread, which was a way
to make the food budget go a little further back in the day.
This is an authentic Italian dish that you’ll see in
Tuscany in many of the restaurants today. It is a very simple,
but delicious recipe. Try any of your favorite vegetables!
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 leek
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, diced small
• 2 zucchini, diced small 2 quarts chicken broth
• 1 head black leaf kale, sliced and chopped
• 2 celery stalks, sliced finely
• 1/2 cup parsley or arugula leaves, chopped
• 1 small bunch of basil, leaves torn
• 2 cups fresh cherry or roma tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• freshly ground, black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 - 10 ounce can cannellini (white beans)
• 1/2 pound stale Italian bread
• freshly grated parmesano-reggianno or pecorino cheese
What to do:
1. |
Heat 1/4 cup olive oil. Sauté garlic
until just beginning to brown. Add onions and sauté a
few minutes more. |
2. |
Add hardest vegetables and sauté first for about
3 minutes. |
3. |
Add a cup of chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add
the kale, other vegetables (except the beans), and basil. |
4. |
Cook for 20 minutes, covered. Add the beans, the rest
of the broth. |
5. |
Add tomatoes, oregano, and season to taste with salt
and pepper. |
6. |
Cook for 90 minutes. Soup will not be thick yet. |
7. |
Soup can be refrigerated and served the next day or
reheated and served the same day. |
8. |
To serve: Tear bread into the soup. Heat while stirring
until the bread breaks apart and thickens the soup. Add
more broth or water if needed. |
9. |
When the soup is done, turn off the heat and stir in
1/4 cup olive oil. Taste for salt. |
10. |
Serve with the freshly grated cheese and chopped fresh
basil on top. |
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