Ribollita with celeriac and kale
Description: Ribollita is an unsung hero of a dish, made up of qual parts of cupboard and seasonal ingredients that come together to create not just a beautiful bean, tomato and bread soup, but also a feeling that everything is going to be all right
Ingredients
- 5tbsp good olive oil plus extra to finish
- 1 large red onion (or 2 small), peeled and finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves peeled and finely chopped
- 3 carrots (200g), peeled and finely diced
- 0.5 celeriac (400g), peeled and finely diced
- 400 g tin 400 g tin plum tomatoes
- 400 g tin 400 g tin cannellini beans drained
- 200g kale tough stalks discarded, the rest shredded into thin ribbons
- 0.5 ciabatta loaf torn into pieces
- 1.75tsp salt
- 0.25tsp pepper
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium flame. When hot, add the onion, garlic, carrot and celeriac, and cook gently for about 20 minutes, until very soft and sweet.
- Pour the tomatoes and their juices into the pan with one hand and crush with the other (clean) hand, to break them up before they hit the pan.
- Half-fill the empty tin with water and pour into the pan (keep the tin to one side), stir to mix and cook for 10 minutes, until reduced and a couple of shades darker.
- Stir in the drained beans, then add the shredded kale, salt, pepper, three more full tins of water and the bread, bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low, half cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes, until the kale is tender.
- Season again to taste, ladle into bowls, drizzle with plenty of good olive oil and serve.