Ribollita (Tuscan Vegetable Soup)

By: Anna Olson

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 slices thick-sliced bacon, diced
1 small leek, white and light green part, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 cups chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 smoked ham hock
3 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
2 14-oz tins navy beans, drained and rinsed
salt & pepper
8 slices day-old white bread

Method:

Heat a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil and bacon. Cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and drain all but 2 Tbsp fat. Add leek, onion, celery and carrot and sauté until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Add stock, thyme and ham hock and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 45 minutes. Add cabbage and simmer 15 minutes more. Puree 1 tin of navy beans with 1 cup of soup liquid and add to soup. Add remaining tin of beans to soup. Remove ham hock to cool. Season to taste.

Slice bread into strips and lay in a deep baking or casserole dish. Shred meat fro ham hock and sprinkle over bread. Ladle soup over bread and let cool. Chill soup overnight.

To serve, preheat oven to 375 F. Cover soup dish and heat until bubbling at edges, about 40 minutes. Serve immediately.

OTHER NOTES
- Ribollita means (re-boil) and like most soups it tastes better the second day. It’s amazing how the bread adds a creaminess without adding cream.

From AsianFoodChannel.Com