Ribollita is a classic Italian vegetable soup served with bread to soak up the liquid. This Tuscan vegetable soup with beans is great served with day old bread and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese!
Ribolitta, also known as Tuscan White Bean Soup with bread, is a traditional Italian vegetable soup made with cannellini beans and lots of fresh veggies. The day-old bread is added to give both flavor and texture the soup.
If you love white bean recipes, don’t miss this White Bean Bruschetta, or Three Bean Vegetarian Chili. Serve this soup with the classic Italian Chicken Cutlets or a simple Italian Arugula Salad.
Italian Ribollita
Ribollita is a traditional Tuscan vegetable soup. It’s known for its rich flavor and hearty texture. The name “ribollita” means “reboiled” in Italian. This refers to the practice of reheating the soup the day after it’s made, allowing the flavors to deepen.
To make ribollita, cooks use stale bread, cannellini beans, kale (or other leafy greens), and vegetables like carrots, onions, and celery. They often flavor the soup with garlic, olive oil, and herbs like rosemary, creating a warming and filling dish.
Ribollita is a perfect example of “cucina povera,” or traditional Italian peasant food, where simple, affordable ingredients are transformed into a flavorful, satisfying meal.
I recommend serving this with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese for extra flavor.
Tuscan Bread Soup
Ribollita is known by many names, including Tuscan Bread Soup. This is because the soup is finished with a crusty bread, typically day old bread or dried out bread.
The key ingredients always include vegetables, a type of leafy green (like kale), and white beans. This is simmered and served over the bread.
Ribollita is one of my favorite soups because it’s a great way to use leftover veggies and breads, and it tastes even better the next day.
The key to making this soup so flavorful is to simmer the veggies low and slow to allow the flavors to develop. Also, it’s great to make ahead and reheats beautifully.
Tuscan Ribollita Soup is also great to add to your list of vegetarian recipes and is a hearty soup that is sure to fill you up!
Ribollita Ingredients
- Olive Oil: start with a good quality extra-virgin olive oil for cooking the veggies and drizzling over the soup.
- Onion: you’ll need one large yellow onion, chopped.
- Carrot: use about two large carrots, peeled and diced.
- Celery: two chopped celery ribs add great flavor and texture to the soup.
- Spices: I use a combination of spices including dried rosemary, dried thyme, dried sage, kosher salt and black pepper. You could use a fresh rosemary sprig, bay leaf, or red pepper flakes as well.
- Cabbage: sliced green cabbage works great. You can use savoy cabbage.
- Leafy greens: tuscan kale, lacinato kale, cavolo nero, or swiss chard work. Be sure to remove the rib and chop before adding to the ribollita broth.
- Tomatoes: canned diced tomatoes.
- Broth: use a good quality broth. You can make your own homemade chicken broth or vegetable broth for best results.
- Beans: canned cannellini beans are the best. If using dry beans, be sure to soak them well before using.
- Bread: day old Italian bread is the classic ingredient for this rustic soup recipe.
- Parmesan: finish off the Ribollita with a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
How to Make Ribollita Soup
This classic Italian Ribollita soup recipe makes about 12 cups of soup. You’ll need to use a large dutch oven or similar heavy-bottom pot set over medium heat.
Step 1: Cook the Veggies
Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots, celery, rosemary, thyme, and sage and stir frequently until the onions have softened; about 10 minutes.
Stir in the cabbage, kale, tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
Step 2: Add the Beans
While the soup cooks, roughly mash the contents of one of the cans of cannellini beans with a potato masher or food processor.
Add both the remaining whole beans and mashed beans to the soup and cook for an hour more over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Serve with Day-Old Bread
To serve, place a slice of the day-old bread in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle on the soup and let sit for 5 minutes to soften the rustic bread. Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips
- You can use any leafy greens you want for the kale. Swiss chard or any variety of kale works.
- Use a good quality vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Canned beans work great in the recipe but you could also make with dried beans. Just soak and cook them before using.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator (separate from the bread) for up to five days. When ready to eat, reheat the soup and then add in the bread.
More Italian Soup Recipes
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Ribollita (Tuscan Bread and Vegetable Soup)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups kale, cut into strips
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
- 2 – 15 ounce cans Cannellini beans, divided (do not drain)
- 8 slices day-old Italian bread
- kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots, celery, kosher salt, rosemary, thyme, and sage, and stir frequently until the onions have softened; about 10 minutes. Stir in the cabbage, kale, tomatoes. Pour in the vegetable broth and bring to a low boil. Let simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes.
- While the soup cooks, roughly mash the contents of one of the cans of cannellini beans with a potato masher or food processor. Add both the whole and mashed beans to the soup and cook for an hour more over low heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- To serve, place a slice of the day-old bread in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle on the soup and let sit for 3 minutes to soften the bread. Serve with a sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- You can use any leafy greens you want for the kale. Swiss chard or any variety of kale works.
- Use a good quality vegetable broth or chicken broth.
- Canned beans work great in the recipe but you could also make with dried beans. Just soak and cook them before using.
- Store leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator (separate from the bread) for up to five days. When ready to eat, reheat the soup and then add in the bread.
