Ingredients

  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • Optional: 55g pancetta or bacon, diced
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 400g crushed canned or fresh tomatoes in their juice
  • 400g cooked beans, such as cannellini, corona, or cranberry, cooking liquid reserved (from about 175g raw, feel free to use canned beans in a pinch!)
  • 25g freshly grated Parmesan, rind reserved
  • 675-900 mL Chicken stock
  • 2 bunches of kale, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 small head green or Savoy cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced

Directions

  1. Set a large cast-iron casserole or stockpot over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the pancetta, if using, and cook, stirring for 1 minute, until it just begins to brown.
  2. Add the onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves. Season generously with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and just starting to brown, about 15 minutes. Dig a little hole in the centre of the pot, then add another tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic and let it sizzle gently until it gives off an aroma, about 30 seconds. Before the garlic has a chance to brown, add the tomatoes. Stir, taste, and add salt as needed.
  3. Let the tomatoes simmer until the cook down to a jammy consistency, about 8 minutes, then add the beans and their cooking liquid, half the grated Parmesan and its rind, and enough stock or water to cover. Add two immoderate splashes of olive oil, about 55mL. Stirring occasionally, bring the soup back to a simmer. Add the kale and cabbage and bring to a simmer again, adding more stock or water as needed to cover.
  4. Cook until the flavours have come together and the greens are tender, about 20 minutes more. Taste and adjust for salt. I like this soup to be very thick, but add more liquid if you like a lighter soup. Remove the Parmesan rind and bay leaves.
  5. Serve with a drizzle of the best olive oil you have on hand, and grated Parmesan.
  6. Store covered in the refrigerator for up the 5 days. This soup also freezes exceptionally well for up to 2 months. Return the soup to a boil before using.

Variations

To make Pasta e Fagioli (Tuscan Pasta and Bean Soup), add about 75g uncooked ditalini, tubetti, or other small pasta shape along with the beans. Stir frequently, as the starch released by the pasta is apt to form a crust on the bottom of the pot and burn. Cook until the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes. Thin out with more stock or water as needed to desired consistency. Serve as directed above.

To make Ribollita (Tuscan Bread, Bean, and kale soup), add 225g Torn Croutons when the soup returns to a simmer, just after you add the kale and cabbage. Stir frequently, as the starch released by the bread is apt to form a crust on the bottom of the pot and burn. Cook until the bread has completely absorbed the stock and fallen apart, about 25 minutes. There should be no distinct pieces of bread at the end—instead, it’s all just one delightfully tender mess. Ribollita should be very, very thick—at Da Delfina, my favourite restaurant in the Tuscan hills, it’s served on a plate!

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat