‘Always Add Lemon’ cookbook: Recipes from ribollita to greens and onion galette

The debut cookbook from Australian chef Danielle Alvarez is all about nourishing and hearty dishes with a focus on vegetables

A Tuscan soup with sourdough and olive oil ( Benito Martin and Jess Johnson)

Ribollita with borlotti beans and cavolo nero

Ribollita is a hearty Tuscan soup that is typically thickened with bread. When we talk about peasant food, to me, this is the epitome of cooking with economy and grace. A little stale bread, some beans, some greens and the result is so much better than you can imagine. The trick is to cut your mirepoix very finely and sauté it for an extended period (in this case about 30 minutes) to caramelise and sweeten, and create a deep, rich base on which to build your flavours. The other important trick is a lot of really delicious new-season olive oil, like, a lot. It makes all the difference.

Serves 4