Tuscan-style soups are just plain delicious and satisfying any time, but especially in the cooler months. This one rocks the house because it’s a slow-cooker meal with very little active time – just a little chopping and measuring. And actually, you could prep this the night before in the bowl of the slow-cooker, put it covered in the fridge, and start it in the morning. “Ribollita” means “reboiled,” and the recipe traditionally calls for a piece of stale bread to be added to the soup at some point to help thicken it, but honestly, we skip this step, ha! Perhaps it was just our favorite peasant bread, but it just kind of remained a mushy glob after the 10 minute cook time at the end, so we removed it. Give it a try, though… you can always remove it. We love that this soup calls for very little meat; just a handful or so of pancetta for some extra salty, cured flavor.
Tip (unsponsored): Liven things up a bit by using tri-colored carrots (we find ours at Trader Joe’s and Sprouts). We almost always replace at least half of the water called for in soup with chicken STOCK (we use Kitchen Basics). Doing this adds to the flavor meter. Here, we use a box (4 cups) of stock and 3 cups water. We couldn’t find dry cannellini beans in our local markets, so we ordered them online from Amazon and they arrived in a couple days. Other white beans were available, but we really love the creaminess of cannellini’s and wanted to stick with those.
Have your kids help you grate the parmesan and dump ingredients. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Celery has potassium, which may help to lower high blood pressure.
- Cabbage has tons of fiber, which helps you have a healthy weight.
- Cannellini beans are a low-glycemic food, which means that they provide your body with energy for hours after you even eat them.
Let’s learn a few facts about Tuscany, Italy:
- You have to pay to get into most beaches in Tuscany.
- Tuscany is home to the Leaning Tower of Pisa, among a few other towers that lean.
- Many movies have been filmed in Tuscany due to it’s beautiful countryside.
Adapted slightly from: Slow Cooker Ribollita
- 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- ¼ small head green cabbage, sliced (about 3 cups)
- 4 ounces pancetta, diced
- 1 cup dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus a 2-inch piece of the rind
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 5 thick slices crusty bread
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 4 cups chicken STOCK
- Combine the carrots, celery, cabbage, pancetta, beans, tomato paste, parmesan rind, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, the chicken STOCK and 3 cups water in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low, 7 to 8 hours.
- Stir the soup well, then add the grated parmesan and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, preheat the broiler. Spread the remaining 4 bread slices on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Broil until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Place a slice in each bowl.
- Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan frequently, until the garlic is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir the garlic and oil into the soup. Ladle the soup over the bread in the bowls.
