Ribollita Soup with Sausage and Toasted Bread
Ribollita Soup with Sausage and Toasted Bread is a hearty tomato-based soup with wilted green chard, cannellini beans, toasted bread and Italian sausage. It’s a meal in a bowl!
A traditional Tuscan ribollita soup actually means “re-boiled” and was a way to stretch leftover minestrone soup by adding stale bread the next day. The soup would soak into the bread as it simmered, thickening the overall consistency.
This version is not based on leftover minestrone soup. It is intended to be eaten the day it is made. Torn bread is toasted in olive oil and thrown into the soup prior to serving it.
Besides the addition of toasted bread and sausage, the ingredients are fairly traditional. Brown the sausage in a large pot and set it aside.
Add onions, carrots and celery and sauté until they are tender, adding salt, pepper and garlic.
Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes, followed by the red wine, crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, parmesan rind and cooked sausage. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, add torn bread to a hot skillet that’s drizzled with olive oil. Toast until golden.
Stir the green chard and cannellini beans into the soup and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Place a few pieces of the torn bread at the bottom of each soup bowl and ladle soup over the top. Add more pieces of bread on top with a generous amount of parmesan cheese and some fresh basil leaves.
Serve hot and enjoy!
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Ribollita Soup with Sausage and Toasted Bread
Makes: 4-6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour & 20 minutes
Ingredients
- olive oil, as needed
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian pork sausage
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 medium carrots, peeled & diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 quart chicken stock
- 1 parmesan rind
- 1/2 pound fresh sourdough or ciabatta bread, torn into ½” pieces
- 1 large bunch green chard or kale, stemmed & roughly chopped
- 1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
- grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, for topping
- torn fresh basil leaves, for topping
Instructions
Heat a large, heavy-bottom pot (or Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom. When the oil is hot, add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break it apart into smaller pieces. Season with a pinch of salt. Cook the sausage until browned, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a plate and set aside.
Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 8-10 minutes until tender and slightly browned. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute or so.
Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes. Cook for a minute, stirring well. Pour in the red wine. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, parmesan rind, and browned sausage.
Bring the soup to a simmer, and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer the soup for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat the bottom with a generous amount of olive oil. Once hot, add the torn bread. Toast until golden and crisp, stirring continuously. Season with a pinch of salt.
Stir the green chard or kale and cannellini beans into the soup. Simmer for another 10 minutes or so. Taste the soup and season with salt as needed.
Place a few pieces of toasted bread into the bottom of each bowl. Ladle the soup over the bread. Top with a few more pieces of bread, a generous amount of grated parmigiano reggiano, and a small handful of torn basil.
Recipe from The Original Dish
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