Recipes

Savory Summer Soups & Spreads

By Wendy Gordon

Here are some great ideas for late summer meals using seasonal vegetables and thick-crusted Italian bread.

Ribollita

Ribollita is a very popular traditional Tuscan peasant dish made from inexpensive, yet delicious, ingredients. The term "ribollita" means "reboiled" in Italian, as the soup is boiled twice.

• 1 lb. dried cannelloni beans
• 1/2 cup plus 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 5 fresh sage leaves or 1 T dried sage
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 8 cups of greens (try a mix of Swiss chard, kale and/or Savoy cabbage), trimmed and coarsely chopped
• 1 cup chopped Roma tomatoes
• 2 cups day old Italian-style bread, cut in large chunks
• Parmesan cheese, if desired
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cover beans with cold water and soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain, then add 12 cups water, 2 T olive oil, garlic and sage. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until beans are firm but fully tender, around 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Allow beans to cool in cooking liquid. Reserve 1 cup cooked beans, then purée the rest of the beans along with the cooking liquid. Set aside.
3. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy casserole. Add onions and cook until soft and fragrant. Add carrots, potatoes and greens, stirring well. Add tomatoes, and continue cooking until greens wilt (covering the casserole while checking on it and stirring frequently facilitates this process).
4. Add the puréed beans and simmer covered for about 1 hour. Add bread and reserved beans, stir gently. Return to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes more. Allow to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
5. The next day, reheat the soup at a low simmer for a half hour to an hour.
6. Serve with grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Ratatouille Soup

This soup has a similar flavor theme, but is lighter, minus the beans and the bread (though it would taste great served with crusty fresh bread):

• 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 small zucchini, chopped
• 1 cup eggplant, chopped (about 1 small)
• 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 pounds fresh or canned tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• balsamic vinegar
• more fresh basil for garnish

1. In a large saucepan, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft and fragrant. Add the eggplant, zucchini and pepper, and sauté for approximately 5 more minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, including juice. Stir in the basil, thyme, stock, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender and flavor well combined (approximately 15-20 minutes).

This soup can be served immediately, as is, garnished with a dash of balsamic vinegar and shredded fresh basil. If you prefer, it can be served chilled.

Olive Tapenade

Crostini is delicious, easy, and a great way of resuscitating bread that is past its prime. Easy instructions for making crostini (toasted bread) can be found here. You can top crostini with almost anything, but here are two of my favorites:

• 1 cup kalamata or Sicilian green olives (or a mixture of the two)
• 1 T capers
• juice of 1/2 fresh lemon
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp anchovy paste if desired
• dash black pepper

1. Chop olives and capers, either finely by hand or in a food processor. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.
2. Spread on crostini and serve. The tapenade tastes great with a dollop of goat cheese. It will keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator.

White Bean, Sage and Garlic Spread

Note: I usually substitute my homegrown heirloom shelling beans for the canned beans. If you wish to do this, the beans should be cooked until tender (usually 20-30 minutes). Use approximately 2 cups shelled beans.

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 14-19 oz can cannelloni beans, drained
• 4 fresh sage leaves
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce

1. Sauté garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the beans, sage, salt and pepper, and cook briefly.
2. Purée coarsely in blender, adding more salt, sage, or pepper to taste and more olive oil if needed for texture.
3. Spread on crostini, garnishing with parsley. This mixture will keep up to two weeks in the refrigerator.