"Ribollita" means "reboiled" in Italian. Typically, as a family would continue to eat their minestrone day after day, it would get to be more liquids than solids as people would favor the beans and vegetables over the liquid. To thicken it up, cubes of stale bread would be added to the soup. A new meal was created.
To make ribollita, canned beans can be used (healthy tip: if you rinse well your canned beans you can decrease the salt in them by 50%). However, it is yummier and healthier to use your own simmered beans. And on a wintery day in Chicago, bubbling beans is a great zen activity, it feels satisfying. Once your beans are cooked, you can put them in a tupperware, or a baggie and freeze them until you are ready to make soup.
Ribolitta can be made with any vegetables you have on hand. I give you the recipe for what I used, but feel free to use what is on hand. Any fresh vegetables will make a delicious soup. Although greens of some sort are a necessity.
