Along with the changing colours, the nights’ drawing in and a definitive nip in the air, autumn also brings with it a distinct change in pace. Our focus shifts from outside to indoors, comfort and softness beckon and days seem to take on a slower, more languid quality, inviting us to turn inwards and embrace stillness, patience and solace.
As the weather gets colder, we bakers turn to the produce of the season. Vibrant coloured root vegetables, deep green brassicas and orchard fruits come into their own, welcoming the pairings of rich, earthy flavours, warming spices and fresh pops of brightness.
In this seasonal shift, comforting dishes are what most call out to us and we can think of nothing more nourishing or cheering than a hearty bowl of homemade soup. Especially when it happens to be the perfect way of using up stale bread.
Rich and layered in flavour, ribollita is a classic Tuscan dish that falls somewhere between a soup and a stew. The word ‘ribollita’ is Italian for ‘reboiled’ and traditionally, this soup was made and eaten on a Saturday as a way of using up leftover white beans from Friday. The beans would be recooked (or reboiled) with onions and leftover vegetables such as cavolo nero, and then served with toasted stale bread and peppery olive oil.
Ribollita also happens to be the ideal waste less recipe. Not only is it a delicious and affordable way of using up leftovers, the beauty of ribollita is that it tastes better every time you reheat it. So what better pairing for a waste less soup than with croutons made from a waste less loaf?
Croutons are a brilliant way of using up stale bread. Simple to make, they add crunch, pep and a deep malted flavour to autumnal soups and salads. For this recipe, we’ve chosen our Waste-Less Sourdough as a way of extending our Waste Not initiative even further. At the end of each day, we break down any surplus loaves and turn them into a porridge to make our Waste-Less Sourdough for the following day. Sour and creamy with malted, roasted notes, this dark chestnut, craggy loaf is soft and chewy and makes for excellent toast (as well as the perfect croutons).
Our take on this Tuscan classic pays homage to all the contrasting textures and flavours of autumn with a few little twists. The nutty texture of slow cooked beans are complimented by rich, buttery squash and bright shredded greens. A fresh punch of pickled chilli balances the deep, rich flavours whilst toasted croutons, grated parmesan and a dollop of crème fraiche add those final comforting touches.
Robust and filling, it’s the perfect recipe to make on the days you need warming up from the inside out.
So set aside an hour this weekend to make this sustaining and sustainable soup and look forward to a warming week ahead…
Ribollita Recipe
Ingredients
For the soup
200g cocco bianco/your favourite white beans, soaked (or a tin of your favourite white beans including the liquid)
1 garlic bulb, halved
3 bay leaves
1 white onion, diced
2 sticks of celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
Olive oil, for frying and drizzling
A pinch of sea salt
200g seasonal root veg, diced (celeriac, parsnips, golden beets, swedes, Jerusalem artichokes and turnips all work well)
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 small tin (440g) of good quality chopped tomatoes (we use Antonella)
A handful of winter greens (kale, cavalo nero), thinly sliced
1 bulb of fennel, shaved
4 slices of day old Waste-Less Sourdough, roughly torn into croutons
A handful of sage leaves
Half a butternut squash, peeled and thinly sliced
For the quick chilli pickle
5 red chillis, thinly sliced
100ml red or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp salt
To serve
A pot of crème fraiche
Grated parmesan
Method:
- Soak the beans in water overnight.
- Make your quick chilli pickle. Finely slice the chillis and place into a heatproof dish. In a small pan, warm 100ml water with the red or white wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Once dissolved, pour over the chillis, cover and leave to pickle for a few hours or ideally, overnight.
- Once the beans have soaked, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion, celery, carrot and leek with a 1/2 tsp of sea salt until soft and golden.
- Add the tomato purée and cook until it darkens in colour.
- Add the drained beans, tinned tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves and enough water to cover the beans by around 4 inches.
- Bring to the boil and then simmer until the beans are al dente, adding more water if necessary.
- Once the beans are al dente, add in the diced root veg and simmer for a further 20 minutes.
- Whilst the beans are cooking, prepare the croutons. Preheat your oven to 150C. Toss the torn Waste Not Sourdough chunks in olive oil and salt in a baking tin and then toast in the oven until lightly golden. Once toasted and crunchy, set to one side.
- Once the beans have cooked, add in the sliced greens and shaved fennel and cook for another 10 minutes.
- In another frying pan, fry the sage leaves in olive oil until crispy. Remove the fried sage leaves from the pan, retaining the oil, and set to one side.
- Fry the sliced squash in the same sage leaf oil until crispy on both sides then set aside.
- Remove the garlic bulbs and bay leaves from your soup pan and ladle the soup into bowls. Add the fried squash and sage leaves to each bowl and then top with a dollop of crème fraiche, toasted croutons and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with pickled chillis and a generous sprinkling of grated parmesan.
