This thick soup is a ribollita (stale bread soup) made with tons of tomatoes. Torello (literally, “The Bull”) from Florence makes his with tomatoes grown on his own land in Tuscany. At his restaurant, Il Latini, he taught me the manner—the only manner—in which one eats any type of ribollita: with chopped raw onions and a drizzle of EVOO on top. If you are not committed to this process or if you don’t do raw onions, skip this recipe. You’re not to eat it any other way. Torello will find out, and I’ll be in for it!
Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add the 3 tablespoons of EVOO, the garlic and three fourths of the onions. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, then add the diced and crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Add the stock and raise the heat to make the soup bubble. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the bread and beans. Stir the soup as it simmers until it thickens to stew-like consistency. A wooden spoon should be able to stand upright in the pot.
Step 2
Turn off the heat, adjust the seasonings and ladle the soup into shallow bowls. Top with grated cheese, an additional drizzle of EVOO, a spoonful of the reserved finely chopped raw onions, and torn basil. The basil, and only the basil, is optional.
