Ribollita (Traditional Tuscan Bean Soup)

Ribollita is the quintessential traditional Tuscan soup. Ribollita means “boiled again” or reheated.” This classic Tuscan soup, traditionally made with white beans, vegetables, and day-old bread, gets its name because it was typically made by reheating the leftover bean and vegetable soups the following day. As we have seen in other Tuscan soups, using stale bread helped thicken up the soup and use up left over bread.

It’s a dish that embodies the concept of not wasting food and is a testament to the ingenuity of using available ingredients to create a hearty and delicious meal. Ribollita is a perfect example of how simple, humble ingredients can be transformed into a rich and satisfying dish.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 sliced leek
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• Parsley, chopped
• 2 potatoes, cut up in 1/2 inch cubes
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 4 cups of vegetable broth
• 4 cups of water
• 1 (15 oz) can of diced tomatoes
• 4 cups of chopped kale or cavolo nero
• Optional: replace 2 cups of kale with 2 cups of chard
• 2 (15 oz) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 cups of torn stale bread (preferably ciabatta or another crusty bread)
• Grated Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.
• Add the broth, water and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add the kale and cooked beans and simmer for another 10 minutes, until the kale is wilted and the beans are heated through.
• Stir in the bread and cook until the bread is soft and the soup is thick, about 10 more minutes. Adjust the seasoning if needed.
• Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Credit: Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik