Winter Vegetable Ribollita

As promised, I took Monday and Tuesday off from work to enjoy a long weekend. No surprise, I savored an assortment of tasty fare, including:

Pad thai chai ya and pad spicy eggplant from Daughter Thai Kitchen
Winter vegetable ribollita, featuring tons of fresh produce from Cal-Organic Farms, Dirty Girl Produce and Tomatero Farm – I prepared this healthy and hearty soup on Sunday and have been eating it for breakfast, lunch and dinner ever since. It’s the perfect cold-weather meal.
Mushroom and mozzarella di bufala pizza baked in a Breville Smart Oven® Pizzaiolo
Vegan gingerbread (bear) cookies, a twist on a favorite creation

And while most folks are eager for the new year to come, I’m hoping to tackle a few more recipes before the clock strikes midnight on Dec. 31: Snixy Kitchen’s matcha mochi cake, Yelapa-style banana pie and Andy Baraghani’s baked eggs with spinach and leeks.

How will you be spending the final week of 2020? Whatever your plans, I wish you a happy holiday filled with good company and good food!

Recipe adapted from Serious Eats.

Winter Vegetable Ribollita

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

⅔ cup dried Italian butter beans
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for finish
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, diced
1 leek (white and light green parts only), quartered lengthwise, thinly sliced and rinsed
4 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into ¾" cubes
1 turnip, peeled and cut into ¾" pieces
6 cups water
1 pound kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh sage
1 bay leaf
3" piece Parmesan cheese rind
4 ounces sourdough bread, cut into 1" cubes
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

Instructions

Place beans in a medium bowl and cover with cold water; cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for at least 12 hours. Drain well.
Place beans in a medium pot and fill with enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt and continue simmering until the beans are tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid, and set aside.
In a large pot, heat olive oil and garlic over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add onion, leek, carrots, celery, butternut squash and turnip and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6-8 minutes.
Add next seven ingredients (water through Parmesan cheese rind) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
Add cooked beans and reserved cooking liquid and bread and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Divide soup among bowls, drizzle with olive oil and top with Pecorino Romano cheese.