The winter is arrived here a typical tuscan recipe

THE RIBOLLITA

Ingredients:

             250 gr. dried white cannellini beans (soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours)

• 250 gr. cabbage
• 250 gr. Swiss chard leaves
• 250 gr. black cabbage
• 150 gr. sliced bread
• 100 ml. extra virgin olive oil
• 5 sage leaves
• 4 tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 leek
• 1 potato
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stalk
• salt and pepper

 Directions:

 Wash and drain the beans and place them in a large saucepan with plenty of cold water, sage leaves and two garlic cloves. Bring them to a boil, adding 2 tablespoons of salt and 1 tablespoon of pepper.  Cook over low heat for about 1 hour until soft.

 Chop the leek and onion and sauté slightly with extra virgin olive oil.  Chop the leafy vegetables roughly and add them to the pan with the leek and onion.

 Chop the potato, carrot, tomatoes and celery, adding them to the other vegetables. Drain some beans and add them to the pan, cooking all together until the liquid begins to dry up. Then add the water from the cooked beans, salt and pepper to taste, and cook slowly for 2 hours. Now stir in the rest of the cooked beans.

 Toast the sliced bread and place it in soup bowls.  Pour soup over the bread and add extra virgin olive oil and pepper.

 Serve hot with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and freshly ground pepper to taste.