Ribollita Tuscan Bean Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat; saute onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add zucchini and cook until slightly softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir vegetable stock, cannellini beans, chopped tomatoes, chicken stock, and pesto into vegetable mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until vegetables are tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium heat; saute spinach until wilted, about 5 minutes. Spoon sauteed spinach into each serving bowl; ladle soup over spinach.

Steps:

• Sort, wash and drain the beans. Soak overnight in enough water to cover by 2 inches. Alternatively, quick-soak the beans by boiling them for 5 minutes in the same amount of water. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 1 hour.
• Drain the beans and put them into a saucepan with 1 1/2 quarts of cold water. Bring the beans to a boil, lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until tender, but not mushy. Drain.
• Toast the bread lightly; it should not be dark brown. Cut each slice into 4 pieces. Set aside in a dry place, such as an unheated gas oven.
• Bring the stock to a boil in a 4-quart saucepan and add the kale. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes, garlic and beans and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are barely tender. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Ladle a layer of soup into a 10- cup ovenproof casserole. Cover the soup with a single layer of toast squares. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the toast. Repeat with the remaining soup and toast and more of the oil, ending with a layer of soup. Push the toast gently with a spoon to insure that it is submerged. Drizzle the rest of the oil over the top.
• Cover and bake for 40 minutes; for a firmer-textured soup, uncover for the last 20 minutes. Serve with grated cheese on the side.