Ribollita

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 small ciabatta from the previous day, 2 heads of black cabbage (Cavolo Nero)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 3 clove(s) garlic, chopped
• 2 onions, red, chopped
• 1 carrot(s), diced
• 3 stalk(s) celery, chopped
• 1 tsp salt
• 400 g beans, borlotti (can)
• 400 g tomatoes, (can)
• Parsley, fresh

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Peel the leaves from the cabbage stalk (as you would with rosemary or thyme), rinse, and cut lengthwise into strips. Set aside. Slice the bread, then tear it into bite-sized pieces. If the bread is still very fresh, simply bake it in a preheated oven at 150°C for 15 minutes. Then let it stand in the oven, turning it off. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and sauté the garlic and onion for one minute. Add the carrot pieces and celery, and season with salt. Stir well, reduce heat, cover, and simmer the vegetables for 10-15 minutes. Add the cabbage and simmer for 2 minutes until it collapses. Increase the heat to high, add the beans with the water, and then the tomatoes. Refill the can of tomatoes twice with water, add the water to the soup, and bring back to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the soup for about 45 minutes. Divide the bread between the soup bowls and ladle in the soup. Drizzle a little olive oil over the soup and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with a Southern Italian red wine, such as Nero d’Avola.