Tuscan bean soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 200 g beans, white, dried
• 1 onion(s)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 carrots
• 1 stalk(s) leek
• 1 pepper, red (or 1 tbsp chili flakes or cayenne pepper)
• 1 sprig(s) rosemary, fresh
• ½ bunch thyme
• 10 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ liters vegetable broth
• salt and pepper
• 1 ciabatta or baguette

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 10 hours; Total time approx. 10 hours 40 minutes

Ribollita – a vegetarian delicacy

Soak the beans for about 10 hours (overnight is fine). Peel and chop the onion and garlic cloves. Peel and dice the carrots. Trim, wash, and dice the leek. Halve the peppers lengthwise, remove the seeds, wash, and chop. Wash the rosemary and thyme, plucking off the leaves and needles and also finely chopping them. Pour the beans into a sieve and let them drain. Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, carrots, and leek for about 5 minutes. Add the drained beans, pour in the vegetable stock, and add the peppers and rosemary. Cover and simmer the soup for 1 hour and 30 minutes (the beans should be tender). Then mix 6 tablespoons of olive oil with the garlic, thyme, and a little pepper and add to the soup. Use a slotted spoon to remove 2 ladles of the vegetables and puree the soup. Then add the skimmed vegetables back in. If the soup is too thick, add a little more broth or water. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with ciabatta or baguette. Tip: If you like, you can toast the ciabatta slices in olive oil. The soup can be prepared a day in advance. To prevent it from burning when reheated, I recommend puréeing it just before serving. It tastes even better reheated than freshly made, as it’s more infused.