Ribollita

You eat this on the third day, but at a pinch same day using tinned/bottled beans - but it won't taste as good.

Ingredients

300g dried cannellini or haricot beans - or 400g tin or jar of beans

1 bunch cavil nero

olive oil

1 large onion, diced small

1 large carrot, diced small

1 stick celery, diced small

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

salt & pepper

1 tsp fennel seed, bruised - go easy on the fennel unless a big fan

small handful fresh thyme leaves

1 Tbsp tomato puree

1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes

300ml vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

few slices old bread, crust removed and cut into small blocks

if using tinned beans skip day 1. Can be eaten on day 2, but better reheated following day

put the dried beans in plenty of cold water and soak overnight
day2
Drain the beans. Put them in a large pot and cover with plenty of water and bring to the boil. Remove and discard scum that rises to the surface. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soft but not mushy. How long depends on size and age of beans, 20-60 minutes. Drain but keep the cooking liquor.
Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables. For the cavolo nero, trim the bottom of the stalks and strip the stalks of their leak by pulling or cutting away. Discard stalks. Chop the leaves roughly.
Heat a few Tbsp of olive oil in a large pan with a heavy bottom. Sweat the onion, carrot and celery over low heat for at least 15 minutes, adding the garlic half way through
Add some salt (no too much - can add later), the fennel seed, thyme and a few twists of black pepper. Stir through the tomato puree.
Add the cooked, dried beans, potato cubes, stock and bayleaf and heat everything for 20-25 minutes ensuring that it always has liquid by topping up with the reserved bean cooking liquor or water.
Add the cavolo nero and bread cubes and cook for a further 20-25 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and check seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.
day 3
Reheat and serve with a slug of olive oil and black pepper

Brutto Russell Norman