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An MD Updated An Italian Veggie Soup & Now It's Full Of Nutrients

Author:

Michael Greger, M.D.

December 09, 2020

Physician and New York Times bestselling author

By Michael Greger, M.D.

Physician and New York Times bestselling author

Michael Greger, M.D., is a board-certified physician, bestselling author, and internationally recognized speaker on nutrition, food safety, and public health issues. He is a graduate of Cornell University School of Agriculture and Tufts University School of Medicine.

Image by Antonis Achilleos / Contributor

December 09, 2020

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Ribollita is a rustic Italian soup that, like most soups, tastes even better when reheated and served the next day, as the flavors are allowed to develop even more—hence the name ribollita, which means "reboiled."

Traditional ribollita contains Parmesan and chunks of crusty Italian bread, but this cleaner, more modern version skips the cheese and bread in favor of superstars kale and cabbage.

The benefits of kale and cabbage

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption can reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes, partly due to their antioxidants preventing the oxidation of bad LDL cholesterol.

Study subjects ate kale and cabbage every day for two weeks and got increased antioxidant capacity of their blood and significant reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, blood sugar levels, and oxidized LDL.

Ribollita With White Beans & Kale

This soup is delicious no matter when you enjoy it, but if you have time, try to prepare it a day before you plan to serve it so it's truly a ribollita, a "reboiled" peasant soup.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1 large red onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, chopped
6 cups vegetable broth
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 russet potatoes, diced
1 head savoy cabbage, chopped
1 bunch Tuscan kale, chopped
1 (28-ounce) BPA-free can or Tetra Pak salt-free diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups cooked* or 2 (15-ounce) BPA-free cans or Tetra Paks salt-free cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Instructions

Heat ¼ cup of water in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, celery, potatoes, cabbage, kale, tomatoes, beans, red pepper flakes, rosemary sprig, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook until the vegetables are very soft, about 45 minutes.
Remove and discard the rosemary sprig and bay leaf, and stir in the nutritional yeast. Serve hot.

Excerpted The How Not To Diet Cookbook: 100+ Recipes for Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss by Michael Greger. Copyright © 2020 by Michael Greger. Reprinted with permission from Flatiron Books. All rights reserved. Photography by Antonis Achilleos.