Ribollita is a rustic, Italian soup that’s warm, rich, and comforting. It has a smooth tomato flavor and is perfect with just crusty enough bread.
This is a perfect soup recipe for when the weather turns cold. It's a fantastic meatless dinner that will be popular with the whole family.
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What is Ribollita?
Ribollita means re-boiled. It's essentially a vegetable soup with bread and beans.
You can make it with whatever vegetables you have, but it always has some combination of stale bread, white beans, and a vegetable mix.
I've used carrots, onions, kale, and spinach in this soup, but you could also use chard or cabbage.
Ingredients
You need a few basic ingredients and several spices to make a great pot of Tuscan white bean soup.
- Cannellini Beas
- Crushed Tomatoes
- Crusty Bread (preferably stale bread)
- Tuscan Kale (Lacinato Kale)
- Baby Spinach
- Vegetable Stock
- Yellow Onion
- Carrots
- Tomato Paste
- Garlic Cloves
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt (kosher salt or sea salt)
- Dried Rosemary
- Dried Oregano
- Dried Thyme
- Dried Basil
- Red Pepper Flakes
- Bay Leaf
- Black Pepper
Optional - parmesan rind for simmering
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Add the olive oil to a dutch oven, stockpot, or other large heavy pot over medium heat.
When the olive oil is hot, add the onions, carrots, and garlic and let sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir often.
Add the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir constantly till it is incorporated.
Add the tomatoes and stir to combine.
Then add the beans, herbs, bay leaf, and vegetable stock and stir to combine.
Then add the kale and optional parmesan rind and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the spinach, torn bread, and the rest of the salt and let simmer for another two minutes.
Add pepper and optional parmesan to taste before serving.
Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
More Fantastic Soup Recipes
If you love a warm bowl of soup, check out these delicious and healthy recipes.
- The Best Vegan Lentil Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
- Butternut Squash Soup
- White Bean Soup
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Chili
- Italian Wedding Soup
Substitutions & Variations
Need to make some changes to this recipe? Here are optional ingredient swaps to make.
- Kale - If you can’t find Tuscan kale (also called Cavalo Nero and Lacinato) kale, substitute curly or red kale.
- Spices - If you don’t have all the spices this recipe calls for, substitute them for an Italian herb mix. Or check out our spices for vegetable soup guide to get an idea of what other spices are great in soup.
Storage
This soup keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. It's even better the next day, so be sure to make enough for leftovers!
Tips for Making this Recipe
Cooking Tips - This soup takes a while to simmer, but the flavor really builds, so make sure to give it the full 25 minutes of simmer time.
Ingredient Tips - If your carrots are thick, don’t slice them into coins - dice them into equal-sized chunks.
Diet/Allergy Alternatives - To make this recipe vegan leave off the parmesan cheese.
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Ribollita Soup Recipe
Ribollita is a rustic, Italian soup that’s warm, rich, and comforting.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced into coins
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 bay leaf
- 5 cups vegetable stock
- 6 ounces Tuscan kale, destemmed and roughly chopped
- 6 ounces baby spinach
- 6 ounces crusty rustic bread (or stale country bread)
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- optional - 2 ounces parmesan cheese, finely grated
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat.
- When the olive oil is hot, add the onions and carrots and let sauté for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Stir occasionally. Then add the garlic and sauté for 30 seconds.
- Add the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon of salt and constantly stir till it is incorporated.
- Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. Then add the beans, dried herbs, bay leaf, and vegetable stock and stir to combine. Then add the kale and increase the heat to bring the soup to a boil.
- Reduce heat and let simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spinach, torn bread, and the remaining salt and let simmer for another two minutes. Add pepper and optional parmesan to taste before serving.
- Serve immediately or keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 258Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 2152mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 7gSugar: 6gProtein: 13g