Ribollita – Tuscan bread and vegetable soup Recipe
Ribollita is a thick, hearty soup from Tuscany, full of vegetables, beans and chunks of stale bread. The dish comes from the cuisine of poor farmers, who used up leftover vegetables and old bread. Today it’s an autumn–winter classic – something between a soup and a vegetable stew.
Ribollita is the essence of Tuscan peasant cooking – as thick as a stew, full of beans, cabbage and potatoes that together create a deep, herbaceous umami flavour. What makes it special is the addition of stale bread, which soaks up the broth and turns into soft, filling bread “dumplings”, making the soup almost creamy without blending. It’s a dish that tastes even better the next day, once all the flavours have melded.
Chef's tips
Sauté the vegetables gently over medium heat until they soften and take on a light colour – this is where you build most of the flavour, so don’t rush it. Add the bread in batches, controlling the thickness: the soup should be so thick that a spoon can almost stand up in it, but still slightly fluid, not like concrete. Be careful not to overcook the cabbage – it should be tender but still noticeable in texture, otherwise everything will turn into a uniform mush.
How to serve
Serve ribollita very hot, drizzled with good extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino. To drink, a simple dry Tuscan red, such as Chianti, works perfectly, or just a glass of water with a slice of lemon if you’re having it as a quick working lunch. It’s the ideal dish for a chilly, rainy evening after work, when you want one very filling bowl and nothing else to cook.
Ingredients
- canned white beans (e.g. cannellini) drained weight; you can use dried beans, previously soaked and cooked - 400 g
- cabbage without tough stalks, sliced into strips - 250 g
- carrot cut into half-slices - 2 piece
- celery stalks cut into slices - 2 stalks
- potatoes medium, cut into cubes - 2 piece
- onion chopped - 1 piece
- garlic chopped - 2 cloves
- tomato passata - 300 ml
- vegetable or chicken stock - 1.2 l
- stale wheat bread preferably sourdough, without crust - 200 g
- olive oil plus extra for serving - 3 tablespoons
- bay leaf - 2 piece
- thyme or rosemary dried or a few sprigs of fresh - 1 teaspoon
- salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot and celery.
- Sauté the vegetables for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until they soften and become slightly translucent but do not brown.
- Add the garlic, bay leaves and thyme or rosemary. Fry for about 1 more minute, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Add the diced potatoes, tomato passata and stock. Stir, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Cook the soup covered for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are almost tender.
- Add the sliced cabbage or kale and the drained beans. Stir and cook for another 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the soup has thickened slightly.
- Cut the stale bread into cubes or tear into pieces. Add to the soup and cook for another 5–10 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the bread breaks down and thickens the soup.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. The soup should be very thick, almost like a stew – if it’s too thick, add a little water or stock.
- Before serving, remove the bay leaves. Serve the soup hot, drizzling each portion with a little good olive oil.
Storage
Store in the fridge in a tightly closed container for up to 3 days. When reheating, add a little water or stock and heat gently, stirring so the thick soup doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pot.
