Here is a great recipe for Ribollita (Italian bread soup). This soup is delicious, nutritious, and the ingredients are all very affordable. Give it a try and I think you’ll find yourself being excited about having stale bread around the house.
Ingredients:
1/2 Red Onion
1/2 Yellow or white onion
2 Carrots
1 stick celery
2 cloves garlic
pinch fennel seeds
pinch chili
pinch oregano
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small bunch of chopped kale
2 14oz cans cannellini beans
2 handfuls stale bread
5-7 cups water
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese
Finely chop your onions, celery, carrots, and the stalks of your kale
Saute these in olive oil over very low heat for 10 to 20 minutes. Be sure not to brown the vegetables. If you want to impress your significant other, tell them the step is called soffritto. It means slowly frying the vegetables and will give you a great base for your soup.
Once you have finished your soffritto, add your fennel, chili, oregano, and canned tomatoes. Gently simmer for a few minutes. Stir in your chopped kale and cannellini beans.
Tear up your bread and moisten with some hot water. Add it to your soup with the rest of the water. Adjust the consistency as desired. The soup is meant to be hearty, silky, and thick. Continue to gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with a splash of olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and salt and pepper.
This is a great soup to fuel your next outdoor adventure.