Perfect for a Snowy Day

Michele and I shacked up again on Wednesday, in preparation for the nor'easter. We had no idea that it would snow that much but when it started, I decided to make a soup. The ribollita recipe from An Everlasting Meal immediately occurred to me because we had some leftover bread from the infamous braised rabbit meal last week and a lot of odds and ends in the pantry.

A little background info here: Ribollita is a traditional Tuscan soup made with stale bread, winter greens, beans, cheese, tomatoes and herbs. It is simple, heavenly, healthy, rich and decadent using very few ingredients. It is also perfect for a snowy day.

It all starts with a base of diced onions, garlic and celery sautéed in the best olive oil that you can find.

Add whole, peeled tomatoes 

I chose collards for this dish. You can also use kale or any other hearty green. 

Cannellini beans went in with leftover broth from the can, sauce from the tomatoes and some chicken broth. I also threw in the rind from a hunk of parmesan cheese.

The final step is adding the stale bread. 

After that, you put a lid on the pot and wait. Check periodically, seasoning and stirring, until the bread dissolves in to the broth.

The finished product should be silky in texture. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and some fresh pepper over the top and buon appetito!