Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean and Vegetable Soup)

Giulia Scarpaleggia, a home cook and cookbook author in Colle di Val d’Elsa, Italy, taught us her recipe for ribollita, a rustic soup and Tuscan specialty that combines vegetables with white beans in a broth thickened with bread. Our version is lighter than most because we left out the potatoes, and instead of using bread as a thickener, we toast bite-size pieces of a country loaf and either place them in the bottom of individual bowls before ladling in the soup or float them on top as a garnish. Scarpaleggia’s technique of pureeing a small portion of the beans gives the broth just the right creaminess.