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Black Cabbage Soup

17/11/2023

Black cabbage soup, also known as ribollita in Tuscany, is a hearty and nutritious dish based on simple and genuine ingredients from the Italian peasant tradition. Here are the ingredients and the procedure to prepare a delicious black cabbage soup.

Ingredients

  • 300g of black cabbage
  • 1 onion
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 stalk of celery
  • 400g of cannellini beans (if they are dried, soak them the night before; if they are canned, rinse them)
  • 1 medium potato
  • 400g of canned peeled tomatoes or tomato puree
  • 1 litre of vegetable broth or water
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Rosemary, sage, and a small piece of chili pepper (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Slices of stale Tuscan bread

Preparation

  1. Clean and cut the black cabbage into strips, after removing the hardest part of the stem.
  2. Peel and finely slice the onion, carrots, and celery. Peel and dice the potato.
  3. In a large pot, fry the onion in extra virgin olive oil until it becomes translucent. Add the crushed garlic, carrots, celery, rosemary, sage, and chili pepper. Let it flavor for a few minutes.
  4. Add the black cabbage and potatoes, followed by the crushed peeled tomatoes or tomato puree.
  5. Add the vegetable broth or water and bring to a boil. Let it cook on medium-low heat for about 30-40 minutes.
  6. In the meantime, if you’re using previously soaked dried beans, cook them in separate water until they are tender; otherwise, rinse the canned beans well and keep them ready.
  7. Add the beans to the soup and cook for another 10 minutes. Adjust the salt and pepper.
  8. Lastly, toast the slices of Tuscan bread, then place them at the bottom of each dish.
  9. Pour the hot soup over the bread and let it soak for a few minutes. Finish the dish with a drizzle of raw extra virgin olive oil.

Black cabbage soup is great if prepared a day ahead, so that the flavors can blend better. Also, as per the tradition of ribollita, you can add more slices of bread in subsequent reheatings to further thicken the soup and make it even more delicious.

Black Cabbage Soup