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–+ servings
White bowl of Tuscan ribollita and pot of it sitting on a stone surface.

Authentic Tuscan Ribollita

A quick, easy, and hearty vegetable and bread soup to make for your family or a large group.
5 from 3 votes
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Resting Time 1 hour
Course Soup
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 12.5 oz cannellini beans (350 g), either homemade or canned
  • 1 onion small
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1/2 cup olive oil + more for serving
  • 3.5 oz canned tomatoes (100 g), either whole peeled tomatoes or crushed
  • 1.5 cups savoy cabbage (125 g), about ¼ head, depending on size
  • 4 cups swiss chard (125 g)
  • 4 cups dinosaur kale
  • 1 potato large
  • 5 oz stale white bread about 2 large, thick slices
  • 3/4 Tbsp salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Finely chop the onion and celery. Add to a large pot with the olive oil. Chop the carrot and add. Sautee for about 10 minutes until the onions are translucent.
  • Meanwhile, wash and chop the kale, chard and savoy cabbage and add to the pot with about 4 cups (1 liter) of water. Roughly dice the potato and add along with the canned tomatoes. If using whole peeled tomatoes, crush them with your hands as you add them.
  • Puree about half the beans with ½ cup of the bean cooking liquid (or water is fine if using canned beans). Add to the pot.
  • Bring the pot of vegetables to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until everything is tender, about 20-30 minutes. Test at 20 minutes with a fork.
  • Add the remaining beans and gently simmer for another 5 minutes.
  • Cut the bread into pieces and add to the soup. Turn off the heat, cover and let sit for at least an hour. Stir the soup from time to time to break up the bread - it will end up like a thick stew.
  • Reheat, if desired, before serving with a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Notes

Substitutions:
  • Add a parmesan rind that you are looking to use up in with the green veggies for extra flavor.
  • When making traditional Tuscan ribollita, common mistakenly added ingredients include: 
    • Lots of tomato, like a whole can
    • Zucchini
    • Squash
    • Herbs such as thyme, bay leaf, or rosemary
    • Garlic
  • Authentic ribollita does not call for toasted croutons as garnish on top of the soup before serving. 
  • Use whole wheat bread instead of white.
Notes and Tips:
  • Sometimes, the ribollita is a little more watery than it should be: just add a bit more bread to thicken it up. 
  • This soup is even better the next day so plan on making it ahead, if possible. 
  • Eat either warmed or at room temperature.
  • Ribollita is considered un piatto unico (a complete meal) on its own without anything else because it’s full of vegetables, beans and bread. A big bowl of this is very filling but there is nothing wrong with starting your meal with cured meats and cheeses, just as many local Florentines might do. 
  • If you don’t have stale bread, lightly toast it before cutting it up and adding it.
Keyword authentic, easy, Tuscan
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