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Pull of the ocean and the roaring tide
Posted by Cory , Sunday, September 13, 2009 6:48 PM
I'm by no means a food blogger (hell, I'm hardly a blogger to begin with), but OH. MY. GOSH. this soup is amazing. Leave it to those crafty Italians to cut out the middle man and put the bread INTO the soup. Please make this soup. It's fantastic. And super easy.
Ribollita con Verdure
as written by Rachael Ray
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 thick slices pancetta or bacon, chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves finely chopped
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 medium to large onion, finely chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium, skinny zucchini, cut into thin slices
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 (15-ounce) can petite diced or chunky style crushed tomatoes
6 cups beef stock
4 cups, about 1/2 pound, chopped or torn stale bread
2 (15-ounce), small white beans
4 cups chopped kale or chard
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, to pass at table
Directions
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add oil and the pancetta or bacon and render 4 minutes. Add rosemary, the garlic, 3/4 of the onions, carrots and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the veggies 7 to 8 minutes, then add wine and deglaze the pot. Stir in the tomatoes and stock and bring up the heat. When soup boils, reduce to a simmer and stir in bread and beans. Pile the greens into the pot and wilt them into the soup. Simmer the ribollita 5 to 10 minutes, stirring soup as it simmers until it thickens to a dense stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in the pot. Turn off heat, adjust seasonings and ladle into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and a spoonful of reserved finely chopped raw onions.
(Stale bread would probably be even better, but I was too impatient to wait another day, so I bought a round loaf of dense bread and it turned out just fine.)
(Also, I put a little extra zucchini in, because zucchini is wonderful)
(Also, also, put the onions and cheese on top at the end. SO WORTH IT.)
