TUSCAN SMOKY RIBOLLITA SOUP

In Italian, ribollita means twice boiled or re-boiled and this Tuscan classic would reheat minestrone soup. Why? Perhaps to make it richer. This recipe calls for a regular once cooked method. I think this soup is one of the most delicious vegetable soups I've ever tasted. The roasted tomatoes and the paprika give it a very smoky flavor. The original recipe called for pecorino cheese to be sprinkled on soup, but as with most Italian soups, the cheese is absolutely not necessary. I think sprinkling cheese on everything is just a traditional Italian condiment and should always be ignored as it takes away from the actual taste of the soup.

1/3 cup olive oil
3 large celery ribs, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
2 medium onions, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika*
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

One 28-0z can chopped fire-roasted
tomatoes and their juices (I seeded, sliced
and broiled a few tomatoes in the toaster oven
until they got dark and crispy around the edges.
Then I chopped them. They stuck to the pan in spots
and I added water to the pan, then scraped the pan
juices into the soup.

3/4 pound (one bunch) Tuscan kale-stems
and center ribs removed and discarded,
leaves coarsely chopped

4 thyme sprigs
1 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 quarts vegetable stock**
Two 15-1/2 oz cans of white beans, such
as cannellini, drained (I always try to use fresh
beans cooked in a crock pot)
2 tbs sherry vinegar (try not to eliminate this as
it adds a distinct flavor to the soup)

1. In a large pot, heat the oil. Add the celery,
carrots, and onions; cook over moderate heat,
stirring occasionally, until softened. 8 minutes.
Stir in garlic, paprika and crushed red pepper
and cook until fragrant. 2 minutes. Add the
tomatoes, kale, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf
and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato
juices have evaporated, 5 mins or until the roasted
tomato has been incorporated into the soup.
Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the vegetable stock and beans to the pot;
simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 30
mins. Discard the rosemay and thyme stems, and
the bay leaf. Stir the vinegar into the soup and
season with salt and black pepper, if necessary.

Serve with Crusy bread.

*I found this paprika in Aroma kosher grocery
store, and I think it can also be found in Middle
Eastern stores. Whole Foods probably carries this
as they have a huge selection of spices.
**There are two types of veggie broth I use. One
is a yellow powder in a container that doesn't need
refrigeration, but the one I use when I want to have
a darker richer base is Better than Bouillon, which
must be kept in the fridge once opened.

Recipe adapted from Food and Wine, May 2010