The Corporate Cookbook

About This Recipe:

For some reason, ribollita soup has not become as mainstream as minestrone soup, but it is very similar and equally as delicious. This soup is vegetarian and packed with tons of healthy vegetables, and could be made vegan if you omit the parmesan on the croutons. However, I think the croutons are the highlight of the dish because they add a great texture as they sit in the soup. I know some recipes call for adding bread to the actual soup to thicken it, but I prefer mine on top. I also like a mix of diced and crushed tomatoes for the texture variation, but you could use either or.

Enjoy!

Ingredients (4 servings)

-1 small onion, finely diced
-2 carrots, finely diced
-2 celery ribs, finely diced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-14 oz diced tomatoes
-14 oz crushed tomatoes
-6 cups chicken stock
-15 oz cannellini beans
-8 oz kale, roughly chopped
-Olive oil
-Salt and pepper

Seasonings
-1 tsp dried oregano
-½ tsp dried thyme
-1 bayleaf

Croutons
-4 pieces sourdough bread
-2 tbls grated parmesan cheese
-2 tbls shredded parmesan cheese
-1/2 tsp dried basil
-1/8 tsp garlic powder

Instructions (1 hour)

1. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, pour in 2 tbls of olive oil and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery until softened (6 minutes.) Add in the garlic, dried oregano, and dried thyme, and stir for 1 minute.
2. Pour in the diced tomatoes and lightly crush them with the back of a spoon. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, and bayleaf, and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. In a small bowl, mash 1/4 of the beans and then stir in to thicken the soup. Add the remaining beans and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the kale and simmer for another 10 minutes until it is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
5. While the soup simmers, prepare the croutons. Tear the bread into large bite sized pieces, and drizzle with olive oil. Then sprinkle the grated and shredded parmesan cheese, dried basil, and garlic powder over the top. Bake at 450 degrees F for about 8 minutes until golden brown.
6. Serve the soup and top with the croutons (and additional parmesan!)