Ribollita (Tuscan Bread and Bean Soup)
Quick answer
- Total time
- 65 min
- Level
- Medium
- Servings
- 4 servings
- Ingredients
- 9
About this dish
Ribollita thickens when pieces of stale baguette absorb a vegetable and cannellini bean broth, turning the soup into a texture substantial enough to hold on a spoon.
Read more
For 4 servings, use 400 g cannellini beans, 250 g cabbage, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 80 g celery, 200 g tomato, 900 ml vegetable stock, 150 g stale baguette, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Dice the onion, carrot, and celery into small, even pieces. Cut the cabbage and tomato into bite-size pieces. Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and cook the onion, carrot, and celery for about 6 minutes. The onion should become translucent and the vegetables should smell sweet without developing a brown crust. Add the cabbage and tomato and cook for about 7 minutes, stirring from the bottom. Continue until the cabbage loses about half its volume and the tomato releases juice. Add the cannellini beans and vegetable stock. Once the soup boils, reduce the heat, leave the lid slightly ajar, and simmer for 25 minutes. Tear the stale baguette into bite-size pieces and stir it into the pot. Simmer over low heat for 10 more minutes, stirring more frequently as the bread absorbs broth. Season with salt and pepper, turn off the heat, and rest for 5 minutes so the texture settles. Serve warm with a light drizzle of olive oil.
Ingredients
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Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Prep
Dice 1 onion, 1 carrot, and 80 g celery into small even pieces.
Cut 250 g cabbage and 200 g tomato into bite-size pieces so they soften at a similar pace in the pot.
- 2Control
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.
Add the onion, carrot, and celery, then cook about 6 minutes, stirring often, until the onion looks translucent and the vegetables smell sweet, not browned.
- 3Heat
Add the cabbage and tomato, keeping the heat at medium.
Cook about 7 minutes, stirring from the bottom, until the cabbage loses about half its volume and the tomato releases enough juice to moisten the vegetables.
- 4Control
Add 400 g cannellini beans and 900 ml vegetable stock.
Once the soup reaches a boil, lower to gentle heat, leave the lid slightly ajar, and simmer 25 minutes so the beans thicken the broth without scorching.
- 5Control
Tear 150 g stale baguette into bite-size pieces and stir it into the pot.
Simmer on low heat for 10 more minutes, stirring more often once the bread absorbs broth, until the soup looks thick and spoonable.
- 6Finish
Season with salt and pepper after the bread has thickened the soup, then turn off the heat and rest 5 minutes to settle the texture. Serve warm with a light final drizzle of olive oil.
Practical Cooking Checks
The cues that matter most while cooking.
- Key technique
- Stale bread torn into a kale and bean broth thickens this traditional Tuscan Ribollita soup.
- Finish cue
- Season with salt and pepper after the bread has thickened the soup, then turn off the heat and rest 5 minutes to settle the texture.
- Storage and reheating
- Ribollita tastes even better the next day when reheated.
Cooking decision evidence
Calculated Charim data and applicable official cooking and food safety guidance.
This recipe
65min, 9 ingredients
Category median
45min, 8 ingredients
Based on 310 recipes
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