Tuscan Ribollita
Tuscany's hearty bread and bean soup: a slow-cooked pot of vegetables, cannellini beans, cavolo nero and stale bread, thick enough to stand a spoon in.
About this dish
Ribollita means reboiled. It is Tuscan peasant cooking at its best: a vegetable and bean soup made one day and reheated the next with stale bread, until it becomes thick, silky and deeply comforting.
Cavolo nero, the dark Tuscan kale, is the essential ingredient. It is joined by cannellini beans, the classic Tuscan bean, a soffritto of onion, carrot and celery, and whatever winter vegetables are to hand.
The bread is not a garnish. Stirred in towards the end, it breaks down and thickens the soup. Use a sturdy, unsalted Tuscan-style loaf or good sourdough that is at least a day old.
Italian Gourmet note: Ribollita is even better made a day ahead. Reheat it gently and finish with a generous drizzle of new-season olive oil.
Ingredients
Tick off ingredients as you go.
Method
-
Step 1
Make the soffritto
Warm the oil in a large, heavy casserole over a low heat. Add the onion, carrots and celery and cook gently for 12 to 15 minutes until very soft. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes.
-
Step 2
Add tomatoes and beans
Crush in the tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the beans, mashing about a third of them against the side of the pan to thicken the soup.
-
Step 3
Add the greens and stock
Stir in the cavolo nero, cabbage and potato, pour in the stock and add the Parmigiano rind, if using. Season and bring to a simmer.
-
Step 4
Simmer slowly
Cook gently, partly covered, for about an hour, stirring now and then, until the vegetables are very tender.
-
Step 5
Add the bread
Remove the rind. Stir in the bread and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more, stirring, until the bread has broken down and the soup is very thick.
-
Step 6
Rest and serve
Leave to rest for 10 minutes, then serve with plenty of olive oil and black pepper.
Cook's tips
Find cavolo nero
Most UK supermarkets sell it in autumn and winter. Curly kale is the best substitute.
Beans from a jar
Good jarred white beans are creamier than tinned and save hours of soaking and cooking.
Reboil it
For true ribollita, make the soup the day before, chill, then reheat in a pan or bake in a hot oven until a crust forms.
Make it vegan
Leave out the Parmigiano rind and use vegetable stock.
Storing and reheating
Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days and freezes for up to 3 months. Add a splash of water when reheating, as it thickens as it stands.
Questions about this recipe
What does ribollita mean?
Reboiled. The soup was traditionally made one day and reheated the next, when the bread thickens it.
Can I use kale instead of cavolo nero?
Yes. Curly kale is the closest substitute, though cavolo nero has a deeper, sweeter flavour.
Is ribollita vegetarian?
It is meat-free. Leave out the Parmigiano rind, or use a vegetarian alternative, to make it fully vegetarian or vegan.
Can I use dried beans?
Yes. Soak 200g dried cannellini overnight and simmer until tender before adding them to the soup.
