Rebollita (Reboiled Italian Cabbage Soup)

Things are finally starting to settle down around here...

It always seems surreal when you're looking forward to something so much and then it comes to an end. With both Lewis and I working all the time, we were highly anticipating our Christmas mini-vaca. We woke up Christmas morning (the first time in our own place) made breakfast and opened presents then headed down to Florida to visit family.

There, I got to eat some of my Mom's famous Christmas cookies (Anise cookies, Chocolate Dipped Shortbread , Candy Cane Crisps, and Snowballs) followed by a feast over at Lewis's house. We spent the next three days sleeping until noon, visiting all our favorite local spots, and spending time with friends and family - it was perfect.

Which brings me to this soup, which I made a couple of days before we left (you might remember the leftover cabbage from the Minestrone) I didn't want to make a plain old cabbage soup so I was excited when I found this recipe for Rebollita. This soup is kinda freaky because it uses pureed beans to thicken the soup and contains soaked toasted bread for added texture. It definitely took some time to make, but with all these textures and flavors from the vegetables, it is sooo worth the wait!

Ribollita

serves 10-12
(Need to prepare the night before eating)

2 cups dry cannellini beans
4 cups water
3 (32 ounce) cartons chicken broth (seems like a lot but it definitely needs it)
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 sage leaves
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large stalks celery, chopped
1 medium sized russet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups cabbage, coarsely chopped
3 stalks of Rainbow chard, trimmed and chopped
1-2 cups spinach (or you could use kale), trimmed and chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French bread, lightly toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese for topping
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions:

1.Sort and rinse the beans before placing them in a large pot with the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes. Turn off heat, cover, and let stand 1 1/2 hours. Drain.

2.Place the beans, chicken broth, garlic, sage leaves, bay leaves, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until beans are tender, about 2 hours. Cool. Remove 1 cup of beans. Discard the bay leaves and sage leaves. Blend the remaining bean mixture with a hand mixer until smooth. Set aside.

3.Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions; cook and stir until transparent, about 10 minutes. Combine the carrots, celery, potatoes, cabbage, chard, and spinach with the onions. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and cook until greens have wilted, stirring at least once, about 20 minutes.

4.Stir in the pureed bean mixture, and cook 40 minute until the mixture thickens. Stir in the reserved beans. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add the toasted bread slices; cook until bread is soaked, about 10 minutes longer. Cool, and refrigerate overnight.

5.Reheat the soup over low heat until heated through, about 20 minutes. Serve each serving garnished with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

*Recipe adapted from Josie