Ribollita: Tuscan Bread & Vegetable Soup

A generous home version of Tuscany’s vegetable, bean and bread soup. The combination of tender greens, cannellini and bread matters more than rushing the cooking.

Ingredients

• 750 g cooked cannellini beans, drained
• About 1.6 litres bean cooking water or water, adjusted as needed
• 1 small onion and 1 garlic clove
• 2 carrots, 1 celery stalk and 1 medium potato
• 150 g cavolo nero, tough stalks removed
• 250 g Savoy cabbage
• 1 tablespoon tomato concentrate
• 200 g dry, edible Tuscan-style bread
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus a little to finish
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Chop the onion and garlic. Dice the carrots, celery and potato; slice the greens. Purée half the beans with some of the measured liquid.
2. Warm the oil in a heavy saucepan. Soften onion and garlic for about 5 minutes without burning them. Add the vegetables, tomato concentrate and enough remaining liquid to cover. Simmer gently for about 40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
3. Stir in the bean purée and cook for 20 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the whole beans for another 10 minutes. Add water gradually if the base becomes too dry.
4. Add sliced bread and cook for about 10 minutes, until it becomes part of the soup. Taste before adding salt and pepper. Finish each serving with a little olive oil.

Ingredient notes

Use a sturdy loaf with a plain flavour. Unsalted Tuscan bread is the natural reference; if your loaf is salted, reduce added salt. Cavolo nero gives the soup its character. Another robust kale is a practical substitute when it is unavailable, with a different flavour and texture.

The technique that matters

Let the vegetables become tender before adding the bread. A soup that catches on the bottom needs a lower heat, more regular stirring and a little extra liquid. The finished dish should be thick and spoonable.

At the Tuscan table

Ribollita’s name refers to cooking again. For a later meal, cool promptly, refrigerate and reheat thoroughly; never leave a large pot standing overnight at room temperature.

Recipe adapted in original wording from Visit Tuscany / Juls’ Kitchen.