Minestra di Pane
Minestra di pane is a traditional Florentine soup of cannellini beans, cavolo nero, and stale bread, which becomes ribollita when reboiled the next day.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 70 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Large heavy-based pot
- •Wooden spoon
- •Immersion blender
- •Ladle
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 12 g
- carbs
- 64 g
- fibre
- 11 g
- protein
- 14 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Warm half of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
- 2
Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cooking until soft and translucent.
- 3
Stir in the tomato paste and diced potato, cooking for two minutes.
- 4
Puree half of the cannellini beans with a ladle of bean liquid until smooth.
- 5
Add the pureed beans, whole beans, cavolo nero, Savoy cabbage, and rosemary to the pot.
- 6
Pour in the remaining bean cooking liquid and enough water to submerge the vegetables.
- 7
Season with salt and bring the liquid to a gentle boil.
- 8
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for forty-five minutes until the greens are tender.
- 9
Layer the stale bread into warm bowls and ladle the hot soup over the top.
- 10
Rest for five minutes to let the bread soften, then finish with black pepper and olive oil.
Chef's tips
Use traditional unsalted Tuscan bread if possible, as salted bread can make the broth overly salty as it absorbs liquid. If you have leftovers, store them overnight and re-fry them in a pan the next day with olive oil to enjoy genuine ribollita.
Ingredient substitutions
- stale pane toscano → stale country-style sourdough or rustic crusty white bread
- cavolo nero → curly kale or Swiss chard, though the flavour will be milder
- cannellini beans → borlotti beans or Great Northern beans
Storage
Store the cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a saucepan over medium heat with a splash of water, or fry with olive oil to make ribollita.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using fresh soft bread, which dissolves completely into mush instead of holding its shape.
- •Discarding the bean cooking liquid, which gives the soup its silky body and deep flavour.
- •Simmering at a fierce boil, which breaks down the vegetables too quickly and clouds the broth.
Serving suggestions
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