Rapolano e Petriolo

Leftovers dish par excellence of the Tuscan culinary tradition. The origins date back to the Middle Ages, when, to feed themselves, the servants used the bread from the table of nobles who used to consume their meals in bread called "trencher". The remains combined with the vegetables were boiled to obtain a tasty and substantial soup. A true ancestor of the ribollita.

PREPARATION

1. Leave the beans to soak for at least one night. In a high-sided pan, heat the olive oil with the garlic clove and the sprig of rosemary and add the drained beans from the soaking water. Cover with water and cook for about an hour on medium low heat with the lid.
2. When cooked, add pepper and salt. Remove the rosemary and take a portion of the beans that will be served whole at the end.
3. Mix the rest of the beans with a mixer so as to obtain a broth to cook the soup.
4. Peel the onion, wash the celery and finely chop them. Peel the carrot and cut it into small cubes. In a pan, heat 25 g of oil and at moderate heat fry onion, celery and carrots.
5. Meanwhile peel the potato and cut it into cubes. Add it to the sauté and continue cooking. After a few minutes, add the peeled tomatoes mashed with a fork.
6. While cooking continues, proceed to preparing the vegetables. Divide the cabbage in half and remove the internal rib and cut it into thin strips. Wash the chard and the black cabbage and cut them all coarsely. Add everything to the soup.
7. Pour in the previously blended bean broth, mix, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. When it boils, remove the lid and continue cooking for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
8. When the soup is ready add salt and pepper to taste, add the beans kept apart, stir and turn off the heat.
9. Cut slices of stale bread and place them in the bottom of a bowl, cover with a couple of ladles of soup. Continue, alternating layers of bread with soup until the ingredients are all used up. Leave to cool and place in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
10. Remove the soup from the fridge. The bread will have absorbed the soup and the ribollita will have a semi-solid appearance. Pour everything into a pan and bring to a boil flavouring with chilli and thyme leaves.

The ribollita is ready. Add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to serve.