Ribollita – a flavorful and hearty vegetable stew
Ribollita – a traditional vegetable stew from Tuscany made with Italian kale
The stew was a typical dish of the rural population. Literally translated, ribollita means “reheated”—and originally referred to a reheated minestrone. In Tuscany, it was baked in the oven in a bowl lined with bread. Over time, this evolved into distinct ribollita recipes. Depending on the recipe, it includes day-old bread, cannellini beans, kale, vegetables, potatoes, and onions. It’s a hearty winter stew, but you can enjoy your ribollita even when the weather is warmer!
Ingredients
1 mostly waxy potato
200 g cavolo nero (black kale)
¼ stalk of celery
½ red onion
1 clove of garlic
200 g cannellini beans (pre-cooked, from a jar)
1 carrot
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ can ORO di Parma whole peeled tomatoes
1 chili pepper
2–3 bay leaves
a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper
olive oil for sautéing
Step 1 : The Preparation
First, prepare the cannellini beans. These are small, elongated white beans. They cook until creamy without falling apart, making them especially well-suited for stews. Drain the beans, rinse them with cold water, and let them drain. Meanwhile, you can chop the vegetables. Peel the potato, onion, carrot, and garlic clove, and wash the celery. Then dice everything—it’s best to mince the garlic clove very finely or press it through a garlic press. After that, you can also chop the chili pepper into small pieces.
Step 2 : The Vegetables
Pour some olive oil into a large, deep skillet, heat it over high heat, and add the vegetables (which you’ve already chopped) and the fennel seeds. Important: Only add enough to the pan so that all the vegetable pieces cover the hot pan bottom. If there’s too much for one pan, it’s better to divide the vegetables into several batches. Sauté them together with the fennel seeds by gently swirling the pan. Next, add half a can of ORO di Parma whole peeled tomatoes and two cups of water, and let the mixture simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, wash and chop the Italian kale.
Step 3 : Ribollita
Now place a large pot on the stove over medium heat and add the vegetable mixture. Add the finely chopped kale, the cannellini beans, the bay leaves, and the chili, and let the stew simmer for another 10 minutes.
Finally, season the stew with a little olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper.
Tip
ITALIAN KALE
Kale is very common in Italy, and this winter vegetable comes in many different varieties. For this recipe, you can use cavolo nero, which was already cultivated by the Romans. At the market, it’s also sold as “Italian kale” or “Tuscan kale.”
However, this type of kale is also called palm kale or “black kale” because its dark leaves resemble a palm tree. The long leaves are usually only slightly curled and very aromatic. It has a milder flavor than our local kale. Palm kale has recently become a popular ingredient in smoothies—both for its flavor and because it’s rich in antioxidants.
Step 4 : The Finale
To serve, ladle one or two scoops of ribollita into a soup bowl. If you like, you can line the bowl with country bread first, in the traditional Tuscan style. Serve hot—the chili gives the ribollita a nice, warming kick. Buon appetito!
