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Toasted Croutons and Barley in a White Bean Ribollita–A Rustic Italian Soup With a Modern Twist

  • Author: priya's mashups
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 40
  • Total Time: 55
  • Yield: 8 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Vegetables and white bean broth are steadily simmered together, layered with herbs along the way and topped with rosemary infused croutons, to form a light yet hearty soup.  

Scale

Ingredients

For the Soup:

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar

2–3 springs of thyme

1 tbsp. dried parsley

1/2 cup barley or ditalini (small pasta)

1/4 cup each leeks, fennel, shallots and celery, diced small (or any two of these)

1/4 cup potatoes, diced small

1/4 cup carrots, diced into small rounds, then quartered

1/4 cup beans, diced into small rounds

1/4 cup zucchini, diced into small rounds, then quartered

1/2 cup fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped

1/2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/4 cup passata/crushed whole tomatoes/tomato sauce

A quarter wedge parmesan rind or 1/8 cup parmesan cheese (optional for vegans)

1 1/4 tsp. pepper

Salt to taste (1-1 1/4 tsp.)

5 cups veggie stock

1 14 oz. can of butter or cannellini beans

For the Croutons:

2 pieces white bread

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

Salt to taste (1/8-1/4 tsp.)

Instructions

Preparing the White Bean Broth:

  1. Blend 1/2 cup of the butter/cannellini beans with 1 cup stock.  Set aside the white bean broth.

Turning Bread Pieces Into Croutons :

  1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Chop up two slices of white bread into even 2 cm. squares.  The more even the squares, the more evenly they will cook.  Transfer them into an oven-proof dish.
  3. Pour 2 tbsp. olive oil over the squares and mix the oil into the bread.
  4. Add 1/8 tsp. each of salt, pepper and rosemary to the bread and mix again.
  5. Place the bread in the oven and roast for 7-10 mins.  Check periodically to make sure the bread pieces don’t burn, especially if you have smaller pieces.  Additionally, check after 5 mins. and if necessary, flip the pieces around so all sides roast evenly.

Making the Soup:

  1. Once, the croutons are in the oven, heat 1 tbsp. olive oil on med. flame for 2 mins.
  2. Add 1/2 cup each of fennel, leeks, celery and shallots + 2 cloves of garlic.  Saute for 2-3 mins.
  3. Toss in the sprigs of thyme and 1/2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar.  If using barley, add it now.  Cook for 3-4 mins. till the vinegar is cooked out.
  4. Add 1/4 cup each of carrots, potatoes and beans.  Season with 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 mins.
  5. Add 1/4 cup zucchini + 1/4 cup passata + 1/2 tbsp. tomato paste.  Season with 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper.  Cook for 5 mins.
  6. Add 4 cups veggie stock + the white bean stock + 1 tbsp. dried parsley.  Simmer for 10 mins.
  7. Add 1/8 cup parmesan + remaining butter/cannellini beans + 1/2 cup tomatoes.  Simmer for 10-15 mins.
  8. Taste and adjust seasoning (approximately 1/2 – 1/4 tsp. each of salt and pepper).
  9. Turn off the stove and drizzle 1 tbsp. olive oil on surface of soup.  If using ditalini or other pasta, add now.
  10. Top each bowl with croutons and serve!

Notes

1. Feel free to substitute veggies of choice: cabbage, sweet potatoes, swiss chard, kale.

2. If you don’t have distilled white vinegar, skip it and add a dash of lemon at the end along with the drizzle of olive oil.

3. Substitute any other herbs for the thyme and parsley: oregano, marjoram, herbs de provence.  Rosemary is not advisable since the croutons already contain it.

4. If you don’t have barley, you can use couscous/bulgur/quinoa.  If using quinoa or couscous, just make sure it’s the bigger pearl sized ones.  This way they won’t get lost in the soup.

5. You can also forego the grains and use pasta instead.  I prefer ditalini (small tubular pasta) because they are hardier and retain their shape even when cooked in soup, but you can also use macaroni or orzo.  Cook the pasta separately and toss it in towards the end.

6. I prefer layering the herbs and stock at different points so each part of the soup is flavored with the herbs.  But of course, if you are in a rush, just throw all the ingredients into a pot and simmer for 20 or so mins. till the barley is cooked.  It’s a tasty soup either way.

  • Category: Soup
  • Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup
  • Calories: 209
  • Sugar: 3.9
  • Sodium: 768
  • Fat: 8.3
  • Saturated Fat: 1.4
  • Carbohydrates: 28.4
  • Fiber: 6.3
  • Protein: 6.6
  • Cholesterol: 1

Keywords: soup, ribollita, croutons, white bean soup, white bean, tuscan, tuscan white bean, tuscan white bean soup, white bean and kale, soup, vegan soup, vegetarian soup, escarole and white bean, cannellini bean soup, cannellini beans, home made croutons

Find it online: https://veggiemashups.com/white-bean-ribollita/