Summertime Ribollita

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Grace Parisi's variation on a classic ribollita—the thick, hearty Italian soup typically made with winter vegetables, beans, bread and cheese—is full of summer vegetables like tomatoes, squash and green beans. Instead of putting the bread in the soup, she serves it alongside and drizzles the vegetable soup with a quick, smoky and delicious paprika-fennel oil. More Great Vegetable Soups

Total Time:
40 mins
Yield:
4

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 pound yellow squash, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick

  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, cored and coarsely chopped

  • 1/2 pound green beans or yellow wax beans, cut into 1-inch pieces

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 1/2 pound Swiss chard, stems discarded, leaves coarsely chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely chopped

  • Toasted Italian bread, for serving

Directions

  1. In a medium enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Add the yellow squash, onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, water, chopped tomatoes and green beans and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 12 minutes. Add the Swiss chard, cover and cook for 5 minutes, until the chard is completely wilted.

  2. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the paprika and fennel seeds over moderate heat until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Ladle the ribollita into shallow bowls, drizzle with the paprika-fennel oil and serve at once with the toasted Italian bread.

Suggested Pairing

Light, berry-inflected rosé: 2006 Bieler Père et Fils.

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