Ribolitta - Tuscan Bean Soup

RECIPE

1 cavolo nero
half a savoy cabbage
3 potatoes
400 g cannellini beans
2 carrots
1 onion
2 bunches of celery
a handful of spinach
dry, unsalted old bread

tomato paste
salt and pepper
olive oil
1 sprig of thyme

meat juice/stock

To prepare:

Day one: Soak the beans overnight

Day two:

Cook the beans for 45 mins. Finely chop the carrots, celery and onion and braise in olive oil in a large saucepan. While the vegetables are simmering, peel off the cabbage leaves, coarsely chop the rest of the vegetables and add to the saucepan. Season with salt, cover the vegetables with water and stir in a heaped spoon of tomato paste.

Purée the beans in their own water and stir into the soup. Leave to simmer over a low heat for two hours then leave to stand overnight.

Day three.

Reheat the stew. Chop the bread into cubes and add. Season with meat juices, thyme and pepper, and serve.