Ribollita Soup Recipe for a Hearty Tuscan Style Bean and Bread Soup

This ribollita soup recipe makes the hearty Tuscan bean, kale and bread soup, which was invented to use up leftovers, including stale bread. ‘Ribollita’ means reboiled, because traditionally the soup is made with leftover soup, such as minestrone or white bean soup that is re-boiled with bread the next day. While it tastes fantastic after an hour simmering on the stove, leave it for longer and it will taste even richer.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 439kcal

Author: Lara Dunston

Equipment

Ingredients

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion finely diced
1 carrot large, finely diced
1 celery stalk large, finely diced
2 tsp salt
8 garlic cloves crushed and finely diced
1 large potato peeled and diced
1 bouquet of fresh rosemary and thyme – 6 twigs tied together with kitchen twine
200 g tomatoes peeled and chopped
400 g cavolo nero/Tuscan kale roughly chopped – or spinach, silverbeet, Swiss chard, gai lan
400 g can cannellini beans – mash half keep liquid
400 g can butter beans – mash half keep liquid
1 Parmigiano Reggiano rind – around 5cm in length rind only
1 litre vegetable stock or water
300 g stale sourdough bread roughly half a loaf or another crusty country-style bread, cut into 3cm x 3cm pieces
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper fresh, cracked
2 tsp paprika ground
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano grated
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

In a Dutch oven, large deep skillet or soup/stew pot, over medium heat, heat the olive oil to make the soffritto by frying the finely diced onion, carrot, celery, and salt for around 5 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until tender and fragrant.
Add the finely diced garlic into the mix, combine, continue to stir occasionally, and fry for another few minutes or so until the onion is soft and translucent and the aromas are wafting through your kitchen. If at the onion and garlic start to brown, turn the heat to low, and if needed add another tablespoon of olive oil.
Toss in the diced potato and bouquet of thyme and rosemary to the soffritto, combine, and continue to fry for a few minutes, then add the tomatoes, combine, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes.
Add half the kale/spinach, half the whole cannellini and butter beans, bean liquid, half the bread, half a litre of stock (or water), the Parmigiano Reggiano rind, salt, pepper and paprika, stir to combine well, then leave to simmer for an hour – or two if you have time; the longer you can leave it the richer it will taste – checking on it occasionally, and gradually adding the rest of the stock (or water) as needed.
About 20 minutes before serving, add the mashed beans, remaining bread, kale/spinach and whole cannellini and butter beans, taste, and adjust the seasoning to your palate.
Ladle the soup into bowls and to each bowl drizzle a little extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle on a generous tablespoon of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Nutrition