Tuscan ribollita with white beans, cabbage and bread

Method

1. If preparing original and lighter portions together, set aside the ingredients and quantities shown for the lighter portions; the remainder is for the original portions. Prepare the two versions separately wherever their cooking or seasoning differs. Divide the quantities given for the whole preparation between the pans or bowls, without using the full quantity in each. The day before, slice the onion and garlic, and cut the carrot, celery and potato into 1 cm dice. Cut the cabbage and kale leaves into strips. Drain and rinse the cannellini beans, then mash half with 200 g water taken from the 700 g allocated to the soup.
2. Heat 25 g oil in a casserole and add the onion, garlic and 2 g salt. Sweat over a medium-low heat for 5 minutes without browning. Add the carrot, celery and potato, stir for 3 minutes, then fry the tomato purée among the vegetables for 1 minute.
3. Add both leafy vegetables, the thyme, pepper, remaining 3 g salt and the 500 g soup water still available. Bring to a simmer, half-cover and cook over a low heat for 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally: the tender leaf stalks and potatoes should crush under a spoon.
4. Stir in the mashed beans with their water, then the whole beans. Cook over a low heat for 10 minutes, scraping the bottom, then remove the thyme sprigs and add the bread slices. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes: the bread absorbs the broth and the soup becomes very thick.
5. Transfer to shallow containers, keeping the layer of soup no deeper (two containers for the reference quantity of two portions), to cool quickly. Cover and refrigerate as soon as the heavy steam has subsided, without leaving it on the worktop for several hours. Leave to rest in the fridge overnight.
6. At mealtime, put the soup back in a saucepan with about 100 g of the 150 g water reserved for reheating. Heat gently for 12–15 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom, until steaming and simmering throughout. Add the remaining water if it sticks; it should stay thick enough to eat with a spoon, rather than becoming a broth again.
7. Divide between deep plates and drizzle with the reserved 15 g olive oil, uncooked. Serve hot; the vegetables should be meltingly tender and the bread should no longer be visible as dry slices.

Variants and their steps remain below the recipe.