Ribollita

4 steps · 24 min total

1. 01

   Sauté Vegetables

   Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper, then cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and become fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. 02

   Simmer Soup Base

   Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Drain the cannellini beans, rinsing them well if using canned, then add them to the pot along with the canned tomatoes and their juices, water, rosemary, and thyme. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady bubble. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally to break up the tomatoes, until the soup has deepened in flavor, about 15 to 20 minutes.
3. 03

   Add Kale and Top

   If you like, remove and discard the rosemary and thyme stems. Stir in the chopped kale, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Arrange the thick slices of wholegrain bread over the top of the stew, covering as much surface as possible with minimal overlap. Scatter the thinly sliced red onion over the bread, drizzle with the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle generously with freshly grated Parmesan.
4. 04

   Bake and Serve

   Transfer the pot to the preheated oven and bake until the bread, onions, and cheese are deeply browned and crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. (If your pot is broiler-safe, you can also brown the top under the broiler for a few minutes to get extra crispness.) Ladle the soup and its crusty bread topping into 4 bowls and serve immediately.