Ribollita (Tuscan Bread & Bean Soup)

About This Recipe

Ribollita — the name means 'reboiled' — is Tuscany's most beloved winter soup and one of the great examples of cucina povera (peasant cooking). It originated as a way to use up leftover minestrone or bean soup, which was reheated with chunks of stale bread to thicken it into something more substantial. The addition of day-old bread transforms the soup into something halfway between a soup and a stew. The key vegetables are cannellini beans and cavolo nero (Tuscan black kale), which give it its characteristic dark colour and earthy depth. The signature finishing touch is a generous pour of raw extra virgin olive oil over each bowl.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 300 gdried cannellini beans(soaked overnight; or 2 × 400g tins)
• 400 gcavolo nero (Tuscan kale)(stems removed, roughly chopped)
• 300 gstale sourdough or ciabatta(torn into chunks)
• ¼ headsavoy cabbage(roughly chopped)
• 2carrots(diced)
• 3 stalkscelery(diced)
• 1 largeonion(diced)
• 4garlic cloves(sliced)
• 400 gtinned tomatoes
• 2 sprigsrosemary
• 4sage leaves
• 4 tbspolive oil(plus extra virgin for finishing)
• 1 pieceParmesan rind(optional but excellent)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook beans

   If using dried beans: cook soaked beans until tender, about 1 hour. Reserve cooking water. Mash about a third of the beans for creaminess.

2. 2

   Sauté vegetables

   Fry onion, carrot and celery in olive oil over medium heat until softened, 10 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary and sage.

3. 3

   Build soup

   Add tomatoes and cook 10 minutes. Add cavolo nero and cabbage. Cook until wilted. Add beans with their water (or tins plus 1 litre water) and Parmesan rind if using. Simmer 30 minutes until thick and fragrant. Remove herb sprigs and Parmesan rind.

4. 4

   Add bread

   Add torn bread. Stir through and cook 10 minutes — the bread will disintegrate into the soup, thickening it dramatically.

   Day-two ribollita is genuinely better — plan ahead if possible.

5. 5

   Ribollire and serve

   The next day: reheat ('ribollire') with a little water. Serve with a generous pour of best extra virgin olive oil.

Variations

• •

  Fry 100g diced pancetta with the vegetables for a richer, more substantial version.

• •

  Omit the bread for a classic Tuscan minestrone.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 5 days — it improves each day. Reheat with a little water as it thickens considerably.

Frequently Asked Questions