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Ribollita Recipe (Tuscan White Bean and Bread Soup)

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A thick Tuscan soup of white beans, kale, and stale bread that gets even better after a night in the fridge.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) or lacinato kale, stems removed and leaves chopped
  • 1/2 small savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 parmesan rind (optional)
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 4 to 5 cups torn stale rustic bread (such as ciabatta or a country loaf)
  • Grated parmesan and extra olive oil, for serving

Instructions

  1. If your bread isn’t already stale, dry it out: spread the torn pieces on a baking sheet and bake at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes, until firm and dry but not browned. Set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Stir in the cavolo nero and cabbage. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the greens wilt down.
  4. Add one can of beans to the pot whole. Mash or puree the second can of beans with a splash of the stock until mostly smooth, then stir that into the pot as well.
  5. Add the diced tomatoes, remaining stock, parmesan rind, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, until the greens are very tender and the broth tastes rich.
  6. Remove the parmesan rind, rosemary sprig, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. Stir in the dried bread, pressing it down so it’s fully submerged in the broth. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the soup rest for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate it overnight for the best texture.
  8. Before serving, reheat the soup gently over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding a splash of water or stock if it’s too thick, until it’s warmed through and reaches 165°F. Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and grated parmesan.

Notes

Taste before adding salt: canned beans, stock, and the parmesan rind all bring their own saltiness, so season at the end. The soup looks thin right after simmering; that’s normal, it thickens once the bread has had time to rest in it, so resist the urge to add extra bread to compensate. A parmesan rind is worth saving in the freezer specifically for soups like this one.

Find it online: https://www.receipster.com/ribollita-recipe/