Tuscan Ribollita

Ingredients for 6 servings:

• 500 g beans, white, Tuscan
• 1 small tomato(s)
• 1 small potato(s)
• 300 g savoy cabbage
• 300 g Brussels sprouts
• 300 g chard or spinach
• 150 g cheese (Fontina)
• 1 large onion(s), more if desired
• 3 potatoes
• 1 stalk(s) celery or some celeriac
• 2 carrots
• 3 bay leaves
• a little fennel seeds
• ½ jar white wine, dry
• ¾ liter vegetable broth
• some olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 6 slices of bread (Tuscan bread, thick slices)

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours 30 minutes; Total time approx. 15 hours 10 minutes

Broad bean stew – a variation of the recipe handed down orally by the cook of the La Tavernetta restaurant in Montaione

Soak the beans overnight. Cook in unsalted water with a bruised tomato and a small potato for 25 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the type of bean. Strain and reserve the bean water; this can be used as the base for the vegetable broth if desired (although omitting it causes less bloating). Finely dice the potatoes, celery, onion, and carrots and fry in a little oil in a large saucepan. Add the bay leaves, 3/4 of the finely sliced ​​savoy cabbage, and the quartered Brussels sprouts. Lightly toast, season with salt, and deglaze with the white wine. Mash half of the beans, then add both beans to the pot, pour over the vegetable broth, and simmer with the lid half-closed for up to 2 hours. The consistency should be thick, stew-like, but there should still be liquid. Add hot soup or hot water if needed. Tip: You can actually let the dish stand at this point and bring it back to the boil later. Then crumble the bread into the soup, add the sliced ​​Fontina cheese and the remaining savoy cabbage, and simmer for another 30 minutes. Season the stew with oil and pepper. If desired, you can add the bread later or just before serving. Some guests enjoy it with freshly sliced ​​white bread. Omit the Fontina cheese if you can’t find it or substitute it with another cheese. A wonderfully aromatic dish, just like grandma’s kitchen, very filling, and perfect for pre-cooking and reheating (“ribollita” = “recooked”). Preparation isn’t difficult, but it does take time.