CookEat Recipe
Tuscan Bread, Bean and Greens Soup
Brown bread soaked with white beans, cabbage, cavolo nero, chard and cured pork rind in a rich olive-oil soup.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 400 g stale brown bread with a soft crumb; 300 g dried white beans; 150 g olive oil; 2 litres water, plus extra hot water if needed; Half a medium head of white or Savoy cabbage; Cavolo nero, at least the same loosely packed volume as the cabbage; 1 bunch chard; A little thyme; 1 medium potato; About 60 g cleaned cured pancetta or prosciutto rind, cut into strips; Quarter of a large onion; 2 garlic cloves; 2 palm-length pieces of celery; A generous pinch of parsley; Salt and black pepper to taste; 3 tablespoons plain tomato passata, or 1 tablespoon tomato paste.
Step 2
Soak the beans in plenty of water in the refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight. Discard the soaking water and rinse. Put the beans and cleaned cured pork rind in a pan with the 2 litres fresh water. Boil vigorously for at least 10 minutes, then simmer until both beans and rind are tender, about 60–90 minutes or longer as needed. Add hot water if the level becomes low.
Step 3
Wash the cabbage, cavolo nero and chard. Remove tough stalks and chop the leaves coarsely. Peel and dice the potato. Finely chop the onion, garlic, celery and parsley together.
Step 4
Cook the chopped aromatics in the 150 g olive oil until they begin to colour. Add the cabbage and cavolo nero first, then the chard, potato and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomato and cook gently, adding bean broth when the vegetables need moisture.
Step 5
When the vegetables are tender, add one quarter of the cooked beans, keeping them whole, and all the tender pork-rind strips. Press the remaining three quarters of the beans through a sieve into their cooking broth and add this purée and broth to the vegetables. Stir and simmer together for about 10 minutes.
Step 6
Cut the brown bread into thin slices and place in a heatproof serving dish. Pour the hot soup over it, cover and leave for about 20 minutes so the bread softens. Keep the covered dish warm, for example in a 100°C oven, checking the food remains above 60°C, then serve hot.
Step 7
The source also serves this soup cold. For that version, cool promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate, rather than leaving the covered soup at room temperature. Serve chilled within 2–3 days, or freeze for longer storage. Reheat any refrigerated soup intended for hot service to 74°C and a full boil, stirring thoroughly.
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