Ribollita di Cavolo Nero con Fagioli Cannellini
Tuscany — Florence, Chianti countryside
The definitive ribollita from Florence: a twice-cooked (ri-bollita) soup of cannellini beans, cavolo nero, stale Tuscan bread, and soffritto, that is made one day and reheated (re-boiled) the next. The bread is added raw to the finished soup and absorbs the broth overnight, transforming the liquid into a dense, porridge-like consistency. The key distinction from other Tuscan bean soups is the mandatory day-old resting — ribollita served the same day it is made is not ribollita. Some families press the re-boiled soup into the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and allow it to crust slightly — the crisp bottom layer is considered the best part.