Ricotta Soup
Zuppa di Ricotta
Tuscan soup of Swiss chard and ricotta, served hot on thin slices of toasted Tuscan bread.
Ricotta soup is a warm and hearty dish, perfect for a simple meal where just a few ingredients create a balanced whole. Swiss chard offers a soft and delicately savoury vegetal component, while the ricotta makes the mixture creamier and more rounded. Toasted Tuscan bread introduces a dry, crunchy texture, which softens upon contact with the moist part of the soup. In Tuscany, the dish combines a base of wilted vegetables with a fresh dairy product, maintaining a basic technique free of unnecessary steps. The moderate use of oil, broth, or water accompanies the cooking without overpowering the flavors; chili pepper, optional, adds a lively note. The ricotta is added only at the end, thus maintaining a creamy and distinctive presence on the dish.
Instructions
ShareVoice reading
7 steps · natural Italian voice
Prepare the soffritto
Finely slice the shallot and onion. Pour a little oil into a saucepan. baking pan wide, add the chopped ingredients and let them wilt over low heatAdding a little water or broth as needed, cook until the vegetables are soft and translucent, without letting them brown. The aroma should be sweet and delicate.
Cut the Swiss chard
Wash the bunch of Swiss chard, remove excess water and cut it into even strips. Cut the leaves evenly, so they cook without noticeable differences in texture and the vegetable blends better with the shallot and onion base.
Let the Swiss chard
Join the Swiss chard to the soffritto and let them wither in the baking pan, keeping the heat low. Add a little water or broth as the sauce begins to dry out: the vegetables should be soft and moist, but not submerged in a lot of liquid. Season with salt to taste when the consistency is almost reached.
Season with chili pepper
Taste the now wilted vegetables and add, if desired, the chili pepperMix carefully to distribute it throughout the base and check that the flavour remains balanced. The preparation is ready when the Swiss chard they are tender, the liquid is collected on the bottom and the scent of the soffritto accompanies that of vegetables.
Prepare the toast
Slice the Tuscan bread very thinly and toast it until dry and slightly crispy. Arrange the slices on the bottom of the serving bowl, overlapping them just enough to create a compact base that can accommodate the vegetables and their filling. pan juices.
Mix the ricotta
Just before serving, add the ricotta to the baking pan with the Swiss chard. Mix it with a wooden spoon, working gently until it is distributed throughout the vegetables and the mixture It appears smooth and creamy. Avoid over-processing, so the ricotta retains a distinctive consistency.
Serve the soup
Pour the hot mixture into the bowl over the toasted bread. Spread Swiss chard, ricotta and pan juices Spread evenly, allowing the bread to absorb some of the moisture without completely losing its texture. Serve immediately, when the contrast between the toasted bread and the soft mixture is most evident.
Chef's Tips
The editorial staff recommends adding the ricotta just before serving and mixing it delicately, so that it maintains a creamy consistency without dispersing into the sauce. Swiss chard.
Ingredients
- Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 shallot, ½ onion
- 1 bunch of Swiss chard tomato passata (strained tomatoes)
- 300g of ricotta, slices of toasted Tuscan bread, oil
- salt
- chili pepper broth
Can't find it in the US?
- tomato passataMost US supermarkets
Sold as passata or strained tomatoes
Or: Canned whole peeled tomatoes, blended and strained
Not seasoned tomato sauce and not tomato paste.
⚠️ Automatic ingredient-based detection. Always check product labels.
Translate