Foodie Weekender by Bronte Hogarth
Stale bread is a given in most households; even the most conscious-of-waste foodies will occasionally find themselves taking a dry loaf of bread from the cupboard, or some stale rolls hiding in the very back of the bread-box.
‘Don’t waste the bread’ is a recipe series to show just how varied and delicious bread can be, even when it is getting old and past its due date. Food is one of the biggest areas people can easily make a difference in their lives becoming more sustainable, by not wasting food with just a little thought and creativity.
Twice-Cooked Tuscan Bread Soup
We are going around the world with our bread recipe series. This week it’s Tuscany’s most famous bean dish, also known as Ribollita which uses old bread and countless veggies in a flavoursome stew. It’s a great recipe as it’s vegetarian, and the leftovers are to be cooked again the next day for two meals in one. We know it’s Spring, but this recipe is too good not to share with you!
Photo by William Brinson
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked or canned cannellini beans
Extra-virgin olive oil (lots of it)
2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 sticks celery, trimmed and thickly sliced
2 potatoes peeled and cut into chunks
1 bunch kale, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1⁄2 small savoy cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 cup chopped canned Italian plum tomatoes
4 cups water
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
3 thick slices of stale bread
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Photo by la domestique
Photo by Mother Earth Living
Directions:
Heat 1⁄4 cup of the oil in soup pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, and cabbage and saute until soft, about 20 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, 4 cups of water and add the kale. Cover and simmer, until all greens are tender, about 45 minutes.
Stir in the beans and and add the bread stir gently, cover, return to a simmer, and cook until bread begins to soften, about 10 minutes. Add thyme leaves and season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.
Refrigerate leftover soup. The next day, preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius. Heat the leftover soup in in the oven, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 1 hour. For the last 30 minutes, do not stir; let soup form a lightly browned crust. Drizzle with another 1⁄4 cup oil, and serve.
Photo by Food Happy
Photo by William Brinson
No-Waste Tips: Bread
- Got pets: Make Homemade dog treats by blending stale bread into crumbs, and then mix 1/2 cup with 2 cups whole wheat flour, 2/3 cup water, and 6 tablespoons oil. Mix and roll, cutting with a cookie cutter, and place on a lined baking tray. Place into a 180°C oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
- See our favrouite 10 tips to use up stale bread
- See all the recipes using old bread
Don’t forget to head over to our website! We are daughters, mothers, sisters and grandmothers getting on with practical climate action to live better for us and the planet. Join the movement at www.1millionwomen.com.au
