• Prep: 25 min
  • Cook: 45 min
  • Serves: 4

Any recipe that cuts down on food waste is a great recipe in our book. Ribollita is a perfect example, turning day-old bread into a hearty, vegetable-packed soup. Have random quantities of leftover herbs? Chop them up with the parsley to bulk up the flavor on the finish.

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Ingredients
  • 8 ounces pancetta, chopped into ½" pieces
  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled, finely chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • Bowery Basil, 1.25 oz, tied together with kitchen twine
  • 1 15-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, drained, finely chopped
  • 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 15-oz. can cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
  • Bowery Baby Kale, 4.0 oz
  • 4 cups coarsely torn day-old sourdough bread
  • 4 ounces Parmesan, shaved
  • chopped Bowery Parsley, for serving
Preparation
  1. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high. Cook pancetta until deep golden browned and fat has rendered, 6-8 minutes.
  2. Reserve 6 tablespoons oil for bread and set aside.
  3. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and red pepper flakes, season generously with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10-12 minutes.
  4. Add wine and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan, and continue to cook, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3-4 minutes.
  5. Add basil, tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer, until tomatoes are very tender, about 20 minutes. Break up tomatoes with a large spoon and add beans and kale. Continue to simmer until kale is tender, 8-10 minutes.
  6. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°. Toss bread and reserved 6 tablespoons pancetta drippings on a rimmed baking sheet, squeezing to moisten; season with salt. Toast, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and crunchy, 15–18 minutes. Let croutons cool.
  7. Just before serving, add half of the croutons to soup, stirring to break them into smaller pieces. Divide remaining croutons among bowls and ladle soup over. Serve topped with Parmesan, parsley and drizzled with more olive oil.
Rick Martinez
Our chef

Made for Bowery by Rick Martinez.

Rick Martinez is a James Beard Award nominee, future cookbook author and contributing food editor to Bon Appétit, New York Times and Food Network with a deep love of Mexican culture and cuisine. Rick lives in New York but is currently in Mexico researching regional food for his upcoming book, Siete Platos.

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