Ribollita.
To make it more gut-friendly, we’ve left out the onion and garlic in this version of the classic Tuscan dish. The abundance of vegetables and beans in this delicious soup mean it’s high in fibre and great for the gut. The tomatoes and parsley are also anti-inflammatory. If bread is off-limits for you then this dish will be perfectly tasty without it (just reduce the total stock volume to 800ml), or you could use an alternative variety of bread which is suitable for you. You can also swap the potatoes for another tin of cannellini beans for extra fibre & protein. It’s a wonderfully versatile dish.
This is part of the Gut Health series, in collaboration with Personal Trainer and Women’s Health Expert, Nancy Best (Founder of Ladies Who Crunch).
Equipment.
sharp knife & chopping board
large frying/sauté pan
large saucepan with lid
sieve/colander
Ingredients.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
2 celery sticks, washed thoroughly and diced
1 bay leaf
1 or 2 sprigs of rosemary
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 pinch of chilli flakes, or ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 plum tomatoes, quartered
400g tin cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 litre of vegetable stock, min. 2 stock cubes, depending on the brand (read the packet)
2 medium potatoes, washed and cut into 2cm dice (peeling optional)
Around 6 leaves of cabbage, savoy or cavolo nero, stalks removed and shredded
100g stale bread (roughly 1 mini baguette), torn into approx. 3cm chunks
Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve
Drizzle of olive oil, to serve (optional)
N.B. If your bread is too fresh, 10mins in the oven at 150c will dry it out sufficiently for the recipe
Method.
1. Add the oil to the pan and add the carrot, celery, herbs, fennel, chilli, and salt. Sweat this down for around 15mins
2. Add the tomatoes and stir for another few minutes
3. Add the stock and white beans and cook with the lid on for around 30mins
4. Finally, add the cabbage, bread and potato and cook this for a further 15mins or so. Check the potato is cooked through and the bread has absorbed the stock and become lovely and soft
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve with fresh parsley and a drizzle of olive oil
N.B. This soup is even better the next day so it’s a great one to make ahead of time!
