A Hearty Vegetable Forward Soup — With Bread!
Ribollita is a hearty and flavorful Italian soup that is perfect for chilly evenings or cozy gatherings. Its name literally means “reboiled,” as it was traditionally made by reheating leftover minestrone soup with bread, creating a deliciously rich and thick stew-like consistency.
Why we love this soup:
This vegetarian dish is packed with wholesome ingredients like beans, vegetables, and rustic bread, making it both satisfying but hearty too. It’s the ultimate Tuscan comfort food (and it’s ready in less than 1 hour).
Be sure to check out all of our easy soup recipes, or try our Fasolada (Greek White Bean Soup), Tomato, White Bean, & Kale Soup, or Creamy Cauliflower White Bean Soup next.
What’s In Ribollita?
- Artisan bread like sourdough, ciabatta, or baguette adds texture and thickness to the soup when toasted.
- Extra virgin olive oil: used for toasting the bread and sautéing the vegetables, Choose high-quality extra virgin olive oil for best flavor.
- Soffrito (the base for tons of Italian recipes!): Diced Vidalia onion, carrots, garlic and celery.
- Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and vegetable broth (or water) form the liquid base for the ribollita recipe.
- Lacinato (or Tuscan) kale: Adds a hearty element.
- Aromatics like rosemary (or thyme), bay leaves, and a parmesan rind infuse the ribollita soup with tons of flavor.
- Cannellini beans: love how creamy and hearty these are at the same time! Feel free to use navy beans or Great Northern beans.
- Red Wine Vinegar: Adds a touch of acidity to balance flavors.
- Garnishes: Pecorino Romano (or Parmigiano Reggiano), flaky sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and bits of toasted bread.
Easy Instructions
Full quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.
- Toast Bread: Rip bread into bite-sized pieces, toss with olive oil, then toast until crispy and golden brown.
- Sauté Soffritto: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven, sauté diced onion, carrots, and celery with a pinch of salt until softened. Add chopped garlic, then cook briefly.
- Add Liquid: Pour whole peeled tomatoes into the pot, breaking them up, and add vegetable broth or water. Bring to a simmer.
- Infuse Flavors: Add kale, rosemary bundle, bay leaves, and optional Parmesan rind. Simmer to let flavors meld.
- Mash Beans: Mash half of the cannellini beans in a bowl with a fork or use a food processor for a smoother texture.
- Combine Ingredients: Stir in mashed beans, remaining whole beans, red wine vinegar, and half of the toasted bread. Remove bay leaves, herb bundle, and Parmesan rind.mTaste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Garnish and Serve: Finish each bowl with a drizzle of high-quality olive oil, shaved Pecorino or Parmesan, flaky sea salt, black pepper, and remaining bits of toasted bread. Enjoy immediately!
My Best Tips!
- Use stale bread for the best texture. It absorbs the broth without becoming mushy too quickly. Artisan bread such as sourdough, ciabatta, or baguette is ideal. If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, use your favorite gluten-free bread.
- When mashing the cannellini beans: a fork will give a chunkier consistency, while a food processor results in a smoother blend.
- Feel free to customize the vegetables based on what you have on hand or your personal preferences. Tuscan soup is a great way to use up odds and ends in your kitchen!
- Don’t overcook the kale: aim for wilted, but still slightly crisp for best texture.
- Invest in high-quality extra virgin olive oil for finishing. This is different than a standard olive oil that you sauté with and adds real depth of flavor.
Make-Ahead, Leftovers, & Storage
Can Ribollita be made ahead of time? Yes, it actually tastes even better when made in advance, as the flavors have time to meld together. You can prepare it up to a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
- Leftovers and storage: Store any leftover Ribollita in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if needed to thin the soup.
- To freeze: For longer storage, Ribollita can be frozen. Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container, leaving some space for expansion. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove. Note that freezing can affect the texture of the bread.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Ribollita hot, garnished with grated Parmesan cheese and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Pair it with crusty bread or bruschetta for a complete meal. It also pairs well with a simple green salad or roasted vegetables. This is fantastic with a glass of Montepulciano!
Try it with my 5-Minute Arugula Salad or alongside a simple roast chicken.
Substitutions and Variations
Whenever I use parmesan cheese, I freeze the rind to use later in soups like this one. If you don’t have a parmesan rind on hand, you can substitute with another hard cheese rind or omit it. Often you can find containers of Parmesan cheese rinds in the cheese department of your local grocery store.
If you are not a fan of kale, don’t worry! While Tuscan kale is traditional, you can experiment with other hearty greens like Swiss chard or spinach.
No veggie broth? Use water or chicken stock. Want to add eat? Throw in ¼-½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes! This soup is endlessly versatile.
Get ready for a hug in a bowl, cause that’s exactly what you’ll get with this comfort food.
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Rich, Thick Ribollita (Tuscan Bread Soup)
Ingredients
- ½ loaf of artisan bread, such as sourdough, ciabatta, or baguette (*use gluten-free bread to make this recipe gluten-free)
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 large Vidalia onion, cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch dice
- 2 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch dice
- Kosher salt
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 (28oz) can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
- 4 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 1 large bunch of lacinato (or Tuscan) kale, stems removed, leaves roughly chopped into 2-inch pieces
- 4 sprigs of rosemary, tied together with kitchen twine
- 2 bay leaves
- Parmesan rind, optional, but adds so much flavor!
- 2 (15oz) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- High quality extra virgin olive oil, for serving
- Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, thinly shaved into strips
- Flaky sea salt, for serving
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Toast the bread. Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C). Rip the bread into bite-size pieces about 1-2-inches big, then place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, toss well, then toast for 7 minutes, or until the bread is crispy and lightly golden brown. Set aside.
- Sauté the soffritto. Heat remaining 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. When hot, add diced onion, carrots, and celery, then season with 1 tsp Kosher salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened slightly, about 6-8 minutes. Add 4 cloves chopped garlic, stir, then cook 1 minute more.
- Add liquid. Add 1 (28oz) can of whole peeled tomatoes, either crushing them by hand directly over the pot or breaking up in the pot with a spatula. Add 4 cups of vegetable broth or water, then bring to a simmer.
- Add aromatics. To the pot, add chopped kale leaves, rosemary bundle, 2 bay leaves, and a Parmesan rind, if using. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash half the beans. Place half of the beans in a bowl, then use a fork to mash well. Alternatively, for a smoother texture, you can purée these in a food processor.
- Stir in remaining ingredients. Add mashed cannellini beans, remaining whole cannellini beans, 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar, and about half of the toasted bread, then stir well to thoroughly mix. Remove the bay leaves, herb bundle, and Parmesan rind. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Garnish, then serve! Finish each bowl of soup with a generous drizzle of a high quality extra virgin olive oil, as much shaved Pecorino or Parmesan as you like, a pinch of flaky sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper. Top with a few remaining bits of toasted bread, then enjoy immediately!
Notes
- Serves 6 as a main or 8 as a starter.
- If you want, you can process the soffritto in a food processor. This definitely saves time, but yields less texture from the vegetables in the finished soup. My personal preference is for more texture, so I chop them by hand. Do whichever you prefer!
- Leftovers and storage: Store any leftover Ribollita in the refrigerator in an airtight container. It can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
- Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if needed to thin the soup.
- To freeze: For longer storage, Ribollita can be frozen. Allow the soup to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container, leaving some space for expansion. Freeze for up to 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove. Note that freezing can affect the texture of the bread.
Nutrition
Photography by: Alana of Your Home Made Healthy.
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