Ribollita

Name: Ribollita
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 300g dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight) or 2 cans; 1 large onion, diced; 2 carrots, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 4 cloves garlic, sliced; 400g canned tomatoes; 1 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed and chopped; 200g day-old Tuscan bread, torn; 1.5L vegetable broth; 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Ribollita (ree-boh-LEE-tah)

Tuscan Bread Soup

⏱ Prep Time 20 min

📈 Difficulty Easy

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 280 kcal

A thick, soul-warming Tuscan soup of cannellini beans, lacinato kale, and day-old bread, reboiled until lusciously creamy.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 12.0g

Carbs 40.0g

Fat 8.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian vegan dairy-free nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten

Equipment Needed

large heavy pot ladle wooden spoon

Presentation Guide

Vessel: earthenware bowl

Garnishes: olive oil drizzle, black pepper, raw red onion slices

Accompaniments: Tuscan bread

Ingredients

300g dried cannellini beans (soaked overnight) or 2 cans
1 large onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, sliced
400g canned tomatoes
1 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed and chopped
200g day-old Tuscan bread, torn
1.5L vegetable broth
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Instructions

1
Cook soaked beans in unsalted water until tender, about 1 hour. Drain, mash half roughly.
2
In a large pot, sauté onion, carrots, and celery in 2 tbsp olive oil for 8 min. Add garlic, cook 1 min.
3
Add tomatoes and broth, bring to a simmer. Add kale and cook 15 min until tender.
4
Stir in all the beans (whole and mashed) and torn bread. Simmer 20 min, stirring often, until thick and porridge-like.
5
Season generously. For best results, cool and refrigerate overnight, then reboll (ribollita means "reboiled").
6
Serve in bowls drizzled with your best olive oil and a crack of black pepper.

💡

Did You Know?

Ribollita literally means "reboiled" — it was originally made by servants who reboiled leftover minestrone with stale bread from their masters' tables.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

large heavy pot
ladle
wooden spoon

Garnishing

olive oil drizzle, black pepper, raw red onion slices

Accompaniments

Tuscan bread

The Story Behind Ribollita

A cornerstone of Tuscan cucina povera, ribollita began as thrifty reuse of leftover vegetable soup and stale bread. It embodies the Tuscan genius for transforming simplicity into depth of flavor. The dish improves with each reheating.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed lunch or dinner in winter 📜 Origins: Medieval Tuscany

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