listen carefully
to
your
body and mind
and you will always
hear
it
speak.
ribollita
Many, many versions of this soup. My version replaces the bread with whole barley, red or wild rice. Traditionally, ribollita uses Cavelo Nero kale – a beautiful black cabbage. I use a combination of savoy cabbage and kale.
Allow this dish to guide you. Patience, gentle and respectful cooking results in a dish that is more flavourful and it calms and soothes the mind and emotions while renewing the body.
Serves 4, with second helpings.
ingredients
1 cup dried cannellini beans\chickpeas, soaked overnight (keep pre-soaked beans in the freezer ready to use)
3 Tbsp oil/ghee
½ dried chilli, crumbled
small handful fresh sage
5 cm sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs lemon thyme
2 bay leaves
2 sticks celery, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 potato, diced
1 small white cabbage, shredded
¼ cup barley, rinsed
8 cups water/vegetable stock
1 cup cherry tomatoes, finely chopped (or tin good-quality peeled tomatoes)
2 Tbsp tomato paste
bunch of Cavelo Nero kale, thick stalks removed, roughly chopped
rock salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil, to serve
preparation
1. Drain the beans and place them in a heavy-based saucepan. Generously cover with water, and simmer, uncovered over low heat for 1 hour.
Meanwhile..
2. Heat ghee/oil in a large cooking pot over low heat, add the dried chilli, bay leaves, fresh sage, rosemary and thyme – cook for a couple of minutes to allow the flavours to open up.
3. Add celery, carrots, potato, and barley/rice – cook for a couple of minutes, then add the cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste and vegetable stock, cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
4. Stir in the beans/chickpeas, cover and cook for 1 hour or more, adding water if needed until the vegetables and beans are soft.
5. Add a generous pinch of salt and a few good grindings of black pepper. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 1 hour to improve the flavours. Reheat and stir in the kale.
Ladle into warm bowls and generously drizzle with a bright green, rich, peppery olive oil.
slow down and savour this dish
Goodness shared from Stacey
