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Did you know that Ribollita means means ‘reboiled’ in Italian? It’s a Tuscan vegetable soup using a brilliant concept. Make a large pot of soup at the beginning of the week and then, all week long, add leftover meat, vegetables, beans, and bread or pasta from other meals. The soup becomes an ever evolving dish, ready any time for lunch, dinner or a snack.
I’ve made ribollita in a dozen ways: sometimes with potatoes, sometimes without any meat, always with whatever vegetables are in season. This recipe is a good place to start, but then adjust it to make it your own.
Recipe Tips and Options
- Allow this ribollita soup to change with the season (as I do with other Italian soups like Pasta e Fagioli and Pappa al Pomodoro): asparagus and artichokes in the spring; zucchini and green beans in the summer; butternut squash and fennel in the autumn; and, in the winter, cabbage and kale or Swiss chard.
- The hot Italian sausage adds richness and spice, but it’s easy to make a vegetarian version. Just omit the sausage, swap in vegetable broth and add a hearty pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic in step 3 and finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil.
- If you’re serving this over several days, feel free to add more broth if the soup is getting too thick and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Give it a try and I predict that, as in many homes in Italy, this ‘reboiled’ gem will become a regular item on your weekly menu.
Ribollita Soup
Ingredients
- 3 cups coarsely torn day-old bread sourdough or other crusty bread
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided plus more for drizzling at the end
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 3 medium carrots finely chopped
- 3 medium celery ribs finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound hot Italian sausage uncooked, casings removed if necessary
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 bunch lacinato kale ribs removed and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch ribbons (also called Italian Kale, Cavolo Nero, and Tuscan Kale)
- 1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
- 14 1/2 ounce can cannellini beans drained, or 1 1/2 cup home cooked cannellini beans
- 8 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 ounces Parmesan cheese shaved
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place torn bread on rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and toss with your hands to coat. Bake until golden brown, tossing a couple of times, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, sausage and white wine; cook and stir until sausage has cooked through. Add kale, tomatoes, beans, and broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Divide croutons among 6 bowls and ladle soup over. Serve topped with Parmesan shavings and drizzled with olive oil.
Notes
- If you prefer a milder soup, use sweet Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes to taste when you add the garlic, sausage and white wine in step 3.
- For a vegetarian version, skip the sausage and use vegetable broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
When you say “14 ½ ounces cannellini beans” do you mean dry uncooked beans? Will 30 minutes cooking time be enough for dry beans?
Hi Em! I’m referring to a 14 1/2-ounce can of cannellini beans. Thank you for bringing that to my attention – I’ve updated the recipe so it’s more clear.
It is supposed to rain all day today and this soup would be perfect and oh so comforting.
I just want to dive into the bowl, and not come up for air until I’m done! So hearty and delicious!!
haha….love it! Thank you, Annie!
This is brilliant! It’s a great way to use up leftovers as the week goes by, and it’s like having different soup everyday! As the weather is getting cooler here, I’m all about the cozy, hearty and filling soups!
Thank you so much, Leanne! I always look forward to ‘soup season’ – and this is a favorite for sure!
I don’t think I’ve ever heard or tried Ribollita, but this soup sounds and looks great. I love that you can easily customize the recipe according to the season, and I think the combo of sausage, kale, and beans is pretty perfect for this time of the year; so earthy and hearty!
Thank you very much, Ben! I hope you’ll give it a try.
Ah, we just made ribollita a couple of weeks ago – one of our favorites for sure! I love the ideas that you mentioned here of tailoring this tasty soup for the different seasons. I’m totally going to try that! Looks delicious, my friend!
Thanks, David! I bet you make a mean ribollita!
I could definitely have a bowl or two of this, Marissa! Etienne would really love the hot Italian sausage in this. Delicious!
Wonderful! I hope you’ll give it a try, Katherine.