Ribollita
Ribollita, a beautifully thick Tuscan stew made with dark greens, lots of beans, vegetables, olive oil, and thickened with day-old bread. One of my favorites.
Ribollita is a thick Tuscan stew - dark greens, lots of beans, vegetables, olive oil, thickened with day-old bread. It is hearty, filling, infinitely nourishing, and flat-out, the sort of food I crave. The amount of kale you collapse into each pot is impressive, and you'll be patting yourself on the back before, during, and after you eat. Here are the details - it's a soup I make constantly this time of year.
I should mention, with ribollita, it's one of those things where there are as many ways to make it as there are cooks. I normally use whole canned tomatoes this time of year - torn up. But had crushed tomatoes on hand, and they worked out nicely. You can use canned beans, beans cooked from dried, or cooked beans you've frozen and thawed. As far as guidelines go? Your ribollita should be thick - eventually. A sloppy sounding, bread stew. Use day old bread, preferably a rustic loaf cut (or torn) into big chunks. The bread absorbs the broth and simmers into beautifully plump zones of pillowy dumplings.
Ribollita Shortcuts
This isn't a difficult soup to cook, although it does require some chopping. If you're looking for a few ways to shave off some prep time. Use canned beans, and buy pre-washed & chopped kale. Also keep in mind, this recipe results in a large pot of soup. Enough for a couple days of leftovers, or more, depending on the size of your family.
Ribollita Adaptations
There are a bunch! In addition to the tweaks I mentioned up above, I suspect a number of you will want to know how to make it GF. Yes, you can absolutely make it without the bread. it's not the same stew, and not really ribollita, but it is still wonderful. Bump up the amount of beans you use (both the whole & mashed). I've also taken to substituting a cup of the white beans with 1 cup of uncooked French lentils (added with the tomatoes). Once the lentils are fully cooked proceed with the addition of the kale, beans, etc.
Toppings!
I like to add a bit of lemon zest to each bowl for a bit of brightness, and because I can't help myself. And I also like the saltiness of a few olives alongside the kale, so that's a little bonus as well. I'll also drizzle a little thinned out pesto on top if I have it on hand, or, an herb oil made by pureeing olive oil, a couple garlic cloves, parsley, and marjoram together. This bowl was topped with a shallot and chiles oil.
Freezer-friendly Ribollita
This is an excellent freezer friendly stew. I like to make an extra-large pot of it, let it cool, and transfer it to freezer-safe containers. It's good for a month or so frozen. If I know it's a pot primarily bound for the freezer, I sometimes hold off on adding the bread. I'll add it when I reheat later. But really, you can do it either way.
I hope you love this, and I hope you make it. It has all the good stuff in one pot. It's what I like to make when I feel like I need a bit of a re-boot. Enjoy! -h
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Ribollita
As far as choosing beans, I usually opt for cannellini. On the bread front, I often use a loaf of day-old whole wheat sourdough, but have at times opted for ciabatta. Canned beans can be used here, the equivalent is roughly two or three 15-ounce cans. As far as the kale goes, look for cavolo nero - a craggy evergreen-hued kale that might also be labeled lacinato or Tuscan kale. The ribollita is pictured here drizzled with a simple herb oil made by pureeing olive oil, a couple garlic cloves, parsley, and marjoram together.
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 3 medium cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 medium carrots or equiv. winter squash, chopped
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 14- ounce / 400 ml can crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound / 16 ounces / 450g cavolo nero (lacinato kale, Tuscan kale), stems trimmed off and leaves well chopped
- 4 cups / 22 oz / 620g cooked white beans
- 1/2 pound / 8 oz / 225g crustless loaf of bread
- 1 1/2 + teaspoons fine grain sea salt
- zest of one lemon
- lots of well-chopped oily black olives
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In your largest thick-bottomed pot over medium heat combine the olive oil, celery, garlic, carrot, and red onion. Cook for 10 -15 minutes sweating the vegetables, but avoid any browning. Stir in the tomatoes and red pepper flakes, and simmer for another 10 minutes or so, long enough for the tomatoes to thicken up a bit. Stir in the cavolo nero, 3 cups of the beans, and 8 cups / 2 liters water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the greens are tender, about 15 minutes.
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In the meantime, mash or puree the remaining beans with a generous splash of water - until smooth. Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks. Stir both the beans and bread into the soup. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the bread breaks down and the soup thickens, 20 minutes or so. Stir in the salt, taste and add more if needed. Stir in the lemon zest.
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Serve immediately, or cool and refrigerate overnight. Serve reheated, or "ribollita" meaning reboiled, the next day ladled into bowls. Finish each serving with a drizzle of olive oil and some chopped olives.
Makes a large pot of soup - enough for 10 servings.
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I made this tonight. So delicious. I followed your original recipe that I printed out in 2012. A keeper for sure!
Thanks Patty!
Made this last night, it is delicious! I had pinto beans so I used those instead and I had a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes so I used the whole can. Leftovers for lunch today are just as yummy! It’s so filling
Thanks Gayla!
Love this recipe and have used it for years. By adding rice though, it provides a complete protein which it would otherwise lack only beans (my children taught me that!)
It truly is a fabulous recipe and I thank you for providing a family favourite all year round.
Jane
Heidi —
By 4 cups cooked beans, do you mean 4 cups of dried beans cooked? Or do you mean 4 cups of cooked beans at the end of the cooking process? In which case, how many cups dried beans is this? Thank you!
HS: Hi Katherine. Cook a pot of beans, drain, measure out four cups. Done. Use any leftover beans in a salad or saute or some sort.
I’ve been thinking of this ribollita recipe since you posted it, and finally got around to making it today. I guess it was only 8 days, but I was really looking forward to it! It didn’t disappoint. I gobbled up one bowl, fed my 13 month-old some for dinner and will be enjoying it again for lunch tomorrow. And the next day! Fabulous way to eat a whole lotta kale (yum).
I made this soup this morning, exactly as written. I just had a big bowl of it. It’s delicious!!! I’m vegan, and so many of the recipes you post work for me. At Thanksgiving I made the Roasted Pumpkin Salad and everyone loved it. Thank you!
looks fantastic! I just might make this tonight!
Hi,
The Ribollita Soup, Jan. 10, 2010 was the first recipe I have tried since I joined your e mail and facebook group.
I was very impressed the directions were so simple and easy to follow.
The soup turned out perfect!!! I used an organic whole wheat bread and took off the crust.
The beans were Eden Organic, Cannellini White Kidney Beans No Salt Added and Low Fat 15 oz. can. I rinsed the beans and added 1 can and the second can I mashed.
I used San Marzano 28 ounce crushed tomatoes.
My daughter loved the soup. My son wanted it to have some meat. I love the idea of adding Italian Sausage and Parmesan, Basil Pesto for a change.
Thanks for sharing your great recipes and talent!!!!!!!!
I recently cleaned out my fridge and freezer and the contents were not nearly so interesting. ha ha – I had to throw out lots of it because it was expired.
This soup look warm and satisfying. A great way to use kale! I was part of a CSA a few years ago and always had trouble thinking of things to make with the kale!
I made this last night for friends and it came out fantastic! Used brown rice instead of bread and very nearly left out the lemon zest, which turned out to be the very thing that made it absolutely delicious! Thanks for your wonderful site! You are doing us all a great service by posting such healthy and delicious recipes!
I made this the other night and it is delicious. I doubled the tomatoes by accident, but I was happy with the result. I also like the addition of the lemon zest.
Thank you for this great recipe! We cooked it on Thursday and it gets better with reheating it! The olives were a great addition!
What a great winter-time soup…and a fantastic way to use up your freezer remnants! I always look forward to reading your posts and trying your recipes!
So, so cold – cannot wait to try this! And may finally clear some space in pantry and freezer.
Thank you for grams and milliliters! 🙂
After living in Florence for 6 months in college and falling in love with Ribollita while there, I tried making this when I came back to the states. You’re right–I have searched in dozens of Italian cookbooks and there’s not one recipe that’s the same. But some things that never change are the swiss chard, black kale, and a little savoy cabbage. I also add some leeks to give it a better flavor, and fresh green extra virgin olive oil is essential to top off the soup once finished. I’ve also tried it with day old wheat bread, but it’s never as good as the white Tuscan bread. This looks so good, I think it’s about time to make some more! Thanks for posting!
looks super good! And, so glad I found your site! Really really great ideas and photos! I love your site! I will have to try this recipe. Thanks!
I think a lot of people are cleaning out their freezers these days! I have 2 freezers, and did just the same thing.
I did think I have to label things more, because I defrosted what I thought was crushed tomatoes from my Mom’s garden and was going to make home made pasta sauce, and it was pureed pumpkin!
Your soup looks amazing as always!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe! I made this soup a couple days ago and it was just as delicious as it looks. And what a fabulous way to use excess bread! Even my carnivore husband liked this, but I’m thinking some kind of sausage would be excellent added to the soup for those who “need” meat. Vegetarian that I am loved it just the way it was.
thank you for your idea of what to do with a bowl of leftover chopped collards…they will take a trip from the south, to Tuscany now!!!
I made this yesterday with some changes and it turned out great! I swapped sweet potatoes for the carrots but the sweetness is a little jarring so I wouldn’t recommend it. Also, I didn’t bother removing the crust from the bread and it turned out fine. I also doubled the tomatoes and crushed red pepper flakes. Yum!
I’m sure I’ll make this again but next time I think I’ll soak the bread and throw it in the food processor before adding to the soup to get the bread really broken down.
I love the addition of the oily black olives! It was a great excuse to buy my favorite kind and it added such a great flavor. I’ve had a few kale & white bean soups and this was definitely the best!
This looks great, the boy and I are being Vegan for a week so will try this out… he says he is hungry always without meat!
Wow, this is exactly what I didn’t realize I was craving. Will make, asap. Also, it’s sort of Rachael Ray-esqe, but freezing things (esp. herbs/veggies/beans) flat in freezer bags and then stacking them is a huge help for me in terms of space and visibility!
This is why I continuously refer my friends and clients to your site and book. As far as I’m concerned, this is a perfect recipe and a perfect meal!
Love it! — Jillian
hi heidi!
i’m a professional cook on her way to another job and today i made my last family meal for the amazing, lovely front-of-house staff.
i made them this soup. i tweaked it a little, but it was awesome and amazing and filled their bellies with every good wish i have for them and with my gratitude for being so kind to me- and with bread. and beans. and i put a poached egg on top of every bowl, so with a poached egg, too.
AND THEY LOVED IT.
🙂
so thanks! you rock. the chocolate tart is next.
I riff’d on this last night, based on what I had in the house (cranberry and scarlet runner beans, curly kale, home-canned tomatoes from the summer, and the remains of a Judy’s Breadstick).
It was delicious!
I made this last night and it was fantastic. I would venture to say that is the best soup/stew I have ever made, except that I can’t remember all of them. It is certainly at the top of the list. I used stale-ish whole wheat hamburger buns from Whole Foods as the bread. I did not remove the crusts, as they were quite soft. They worked just fine in the Ribollita. I had a bowl for lunch today, and it was even better.
Barley and Farro both have gluten, but for a g-f version without bread, perhaps millet would work nicely?
Dear Heidi,
My Italian grandmother always made us her version of ribollita. I’ve never forgotten it. Her recipe was…..”a little of this, a little of that…”
So I’ve tried several times to reproduce it in the recent past. This version looks great to try next!
Looks great! Reminds me of escarole and beans, my family makes it the most in the winter.
Jenn
Heidi, Do you think this would work with vegetable stock thickened with arrowroot instead of tomatoes-I can’t eat them, but this sounds perfect otherwise.
I’m now kicking myself for not freezing more Tuscan kale from the CSA….I made a similar soup the other week, but this has more variety and I had forgotten to include tomatoes. Can’t wait to give this a go. Thanks, Heidi.
HI- I, too, love making ribollita in the winter and once I came across a recipe that called for baking it in the oven after cooking on the stove. It cooked much slower, but I found that it came out so much better. Instead of everything mushing together, each ingredient kept its integrity, shape and taste perfectly. What prompted my comment was a reader’s question “what does ribollita mean.” It means “re- boiled” because it is made first and eaten as is the first day, then reheated with stale bread the second, and on the third if there is any left, it is no longer very liquid and it is heaped on top of bruschetta. That was told to me by the Italian woman who taught me to make it.
Beans can be a magical thing when combined the right way. What a delightful use of them!
This was fantastic! I got so excited when I saw this last night. I had kale, white beans AND oily olives in the fridge and I couldn’t resist. This is the first recipe that I’ve made from your site and if everything is as good as this then I will definitely be making many more :p
Wow, Heidi. I just made this tonight. My husband inhaled 2 bowls upon arriving home after work. It is cold here in Cleveland and this hits the spot. Last weekend I was at our local grocery chain, Heinen’s, and noticed some beautiful looking kale varieties, including lacinato. They even had some pale yellow kind that looked interesting. Anyway, we really enjoyed every bite of this. You’re a doll!
Such a perfect meal for a cold January night. Made this last night for the family, and it just felt so good in the tummy. The recipe really does make 10 to 12 servings, so will cut it in half next time around.
I was so excited to receive your cookbook as an xmas gift, but you keep posting such amazing recipes on your website, I’m not sure when I’ll get to it 🙂 This soup looks amazing!
I love Ribolita. I was hooked after my first (and last so far, tant pis) trip to Florence. People still remember when I hosted and presented the big pot on the table.
I like putting purple cabbage in mine, makes the color get all funky. And I never thought of adding olives, great idea!
This looks perfect for a snowy day like today. Yum!
Looks fantastic! I can’t wait to make this dish.
Wow! That looks amazing. I am always looking for new recipes with beans.
Looks excellent! I sooo enjoy Ribollita and you are right, there are so many different ways I have seen it made.
I LOVE Ribollita and this recipe sounds great. Beans, kale and parmesan is such a great combination and I always feel so healthy eating kale. In its raw form it is supposed to reduce turmor growth in cancer patients – a true superfood.
Best.
I read the post this morning, stopped by the market on my way home and found chard but no kale, but decided to adapt the soup. It’s delicious. My boyfriend had a second helping — quite unusual for him — and I’m already dreaming of leftovers for lunch.
HS: Glad you liked it Kris!
HIlarious, I posted a ribollita recipe too, but I used savoy cabbage as I couldn’t get my hands on black kale. Just as I guessed in my post it looks much prettier with the kale. Yum!
I’m definitely going to try this recipe. It’s the time of year for soups, and I’ve got plenty of kale still out in the garden begging to be used, and beans in the cupboard!
This is such a great recipe for leftovers. I always encourage frugal shoppers that the makings of a great and healthy soup are usually in their pantry, refrigerator, or freezer.
What a delcious looking recipe. You’ve inspired me to go and clean out my freezer now, too!
What a delicious soup! I love your soup recipes – never a dull one in the bunch. They’re always so healing, healthy, delicious. Your freezer rummaging reminds me that I have several Parmesan rinds in my freezer that I keep forgetting – they need to be tossed in my next batch of broth!
Wow, what a soup – chock full of nutrition, can’t wait to try it. Perfect timing too as I’m having a real making soup week or two here. Your freezer contents are so interesting! One of my ‘thing’s this year is to get better at labelling those handy leftovers for one thing. Thanks for the extra inspiration to get going on that Heidi. As always, wonderful sounding recipe and can’t wait to make it – this week!
OMG, it is sooooooooooooo good! I just ate 3 bowls and I put some of my petrified rinds in it while cooking it. Thank you again.
oh i loooove ribollita! i had no idea it was so easy to make. I’ll try this this weekend.
That is one impressive freezer! I wish I mine was that well stocked! Currently it only contains frozen bananas, corn, peas and vegan truffles.
Your recipes are so delightful!
That is one impressive freezer! I wish I mine was that well stocked! Currently it only contains frozen bananas, corn, peas and vegan truffles.
Your recipes are so delightful!
i guess i am not the only one who lives in an area where no one has ever heard of lacinato kale; i know about it from a larger city where i formerly lived. and substitutions are usually possible.
i have not tried this recipe but have found others of your recipes quite good.,
No question about it…this is what I’m making tonight! Thanks Heidi; this looks fabulous…I can’t wait for dinner….I just purchased a huge bundle of kale and this recipe is perfect!
Or there’s pasta fagioli. Add a can of borlotti beans to a thick tomato sauce (made with carrotsand celery as well as tomato and onion), then some cooked pasta, then some shredded basil leaves and some grated parmesan. S’easy. Suits our current weather in the UK- sub-zero day after day.
Mmm, I’m so excited about this recipe. I have a lovely bunch of kale to use up and this will be perfect. 🙂
Ahh, a perfect soup for this dismal, dreary gray weather! It looks divine… I almost want to take a spoonful of it now. And I love your freezer contents! Far more interesting than mine, though it has reminded me I need to start freezing my beans too.
Thanks again for another perfect recipe!
I’ve been reading your blog for several months, Heidi, and really appreciate your emphasis on natural and whole ingredients. It is also very nice that you include different systems of measurements for your recipes. I love soups like this in the winter that work for dinner and then leftover lunches. I made a curried lentil and greens soup this past week that warmed me to the core. Thanks for the recipe and beautiful posts.
I love soups that include kale and white beans. I will be giving this one a try for sure!
Ribollita is such a humble soup, but couldn’t be better on a cold day. It’s not the most photogenic soup but yours is quite beautiful. Thanks for the recipe!
WOW, this sounds amazing! I’d love a bowl of that today!
loved olive’s suggestion for the kale–a great way to keep it on hand, and storage-friendly.
on the theme of storage, cleaning out the freezer and cupboards–you’re right–it’s time! we decided hereon to stop using canned anything unless we’ve canned it ourselves. the BPA liner in cans is one toxic thing we think we can live without. until summer, tetra-packed pomi tomatoes are the answer for us, supplementing with roasting fresh ones.
Now I know what I’ll do with the left over Cavolo nero I bought to make a green soup! This soup sounds yummy, but if you’re gluten free would it be appropriate to use brown rice as a substitute for the bread? Any thoughts?
Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
Yum. I have been looking for a good ribollita recipe for years.
Will try this next week – thanks!
I have a vacuum packer. In my younger days I wouldn’t have been caught dead with such a bourgeois appliance in my kitchen, now I use it frequently to freeze leftovers and store things like flour and ingredients I don’t use very often (I have to eat gluten free so have a lot of little bits of exotic this and that). What the ads say is true: food stays fresher much longer. The downside is that I feel less guilt about wasting food, so the freezer can fill up pretty fast!
I wonder if spinach could be used instead of kale?
HS: As far as alternatives go, the lacinato kale is quite distinctive, and has structure. I’d swap in chard as a first choice, spinach as a second choice.
I have a bag of dried bread cubes left over from the holidays that keep staring at me reproachfully. I imagine those would work? Maybe need more liquid?
HS: Hi Theano, sure, give them a go. You can always adjust the amount of liquid.
Great idea with the olives! I love cavolo nero and this is a tasty way to cook with it – thanks!
Yet another fabulous sounding soup, and with freezer leftovers, even better!
As an alternative to using canned tomatoes in soup, I’ve been trying something new lately. Back in September, “The Tomato Lady” at my favorite farmer’s market suggested freezing whole tomatoes in freezer bags. I liked the idea of having access to her seasonal goodies in February, so I went for it.
Now, any mid-winter soup that calls for a can of tomatoes, I just haul 3 whole frozen tomatoes, run them under the faucet to remove the skins, let them thaw in a bowl and crush them into the soup.
It makes for the freshest tasting soups that even my non-tomato loving husband raves can appreciate. I highly recommend trying it if you have the space in your freezer!
HS: Love this idea – thanks for sharing Rita.
Maybe there’s an upside to not owning a freezer after all: I can’t throw things in and forget about them!
This sounds amazing–can’t wait to try it!
Ooh this looks delicious! And I’m pretty sure we have enough in my house to blunder our way into a Riboletta sometime soon!
Tegan
Looks Fabulous! Since I’m trying to avoid gluten now, would you recommend rice or quinoa or some other grain instead of the bread? About how much?
HS: Sure! You should just experiment starting with a cup or two of cooked brown rice. Or cooked pearled barley or farro might be a nice alternative – the pearled versions might add a bit of creaminess to the broth.
Read through the cookbook Salt to Taste this weekend. It contains a Ribolitta recipe that sounds like it would serve an army. One great tip to get the kale into tiny bits. Freeze it first, then crumble it while frozen. Can’t wait to try your more reasonable-sized recipe.
HS: Great tip, from a beautiful book I might add – I’ll have to try that next time.
This seems worthy of making just to say its name repeatedly. Of course, I’ll lower my register, slow my delivery and attempt my best faux Italian accent.
Thanks for this week’s soup idea!. I’m curious about your frozen beans. Do you always cook them first? I buy fresh shell beans when in season, shell them, and then freeze them uncooked.. When I pull them out in the winter, it’s like having fresh beans – they only take 20 minutes or so to cook, more if you throw them into the pot to cook while they’re still frozen.
HS: I always cook dried beans before freezing them, but fresh shell beans I don’t cook before freezing. And I always kick myself for not buying more fresh shell beans when I see them in the summer. You’re right, they’re great to have on hand later in the year.
Wow, what a great haul in your freezer. Mine has almonds, a banana, some butter, and a lot of dog food. Sigh.
Ribollita is wonderful, and your recipe is almost exactly like mine. My main difference is that I have always added a good dollop of basil pesto. I may have to try it with olives instead next time because that sounds so good! This soup is also great with the addition of italian sausage for meat-loving husbands, and topped with parmesan cheese!
Warm soup on a cold winter day. What’s better?
This is exactly the type of soup I’ve been craving (without even knowing that ribollita existed!).
Thanks for this one Heidi. You always provide me unfamiliar recipe. As an Asian I find your recipe very very interesting….
Keep it up! 🙂
Yum. 🙂 Soup season is definitely here – can’t wait to give it a go! I just whipped up a batch of carrot soup. 🙂
I haven’t had ribollita since I studied abroad in Florence – this brings back such delicious memories! Your freezer sounds totally like my freezer. I have like 5 million egg whites in there….in addition to way too many other scraps that need to be used up!
This soup looks delicious! Now I know what to do with all the beans I have!
I think I need to make this – there was also a recipe for it in the Chronicle today, so that must be a sign that I should make this! I also saw that kind of Kale at the store today and wondered about it.
ohh this is exactly what I’ve been craving all weekend, I’m making it tomorrow! it looks delicious.
for the bread, do you just cut the crusts off before using it? does it still work if you leave the crusts on the bread (I’d hate to waste them!)
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