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    Home » Recipes » Soups & Stews

    Ribollita Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup

    Published: Oct 14, 2018 · Last Updated: Jul 28, 2022 · 20 Comments

    6516 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This hearty Tuscan vegetable and bean soup called Ribollita is one of the most popular soup recipes on my site. So thick, it's more like a stew. After making it recently, I decided to update the post and simplify the recipe. So if you've never made Ribollita, now is the time. I've included options for grain-free, dairy-free and vegan eaters.

    Ribollita Tuscan Vegetable Bean Soup

    Siena, Italy is where we fell in love with Ribollita. Famed for its cuisine, art, cathedral and Il Palio horse race, Siena is an ancient medieval and historic marvel. It’s the scene of storybooks, postcards and movie sets. 

    Ribollita|AFoodCentricLife.com

    Exploring cobblestone alleyways and stopping at every turn to take photographs left us in need of a warm lunch. A small unassuming restaurant close to our hotel looked like just the spot.  How how could we resist a restaurant named for an Italian grandmother?

    Ribollita|AFoodCentricLife.com

    Osteria Nonna Gina & Ribollita

    We were seated at a small wooden table, watching as the cozy dining room quickly filled with local families. You’ll find a hearty vegetable soup called Ribollita everywhere in Tuscany. In English, Ribollita means “reboiled”, a way for thrifty Tuscan cooks to use leftover vegetables, bread and beans from the week.

    A steaming bowl of ribollita arrived. We sprinkled a little fresh Parmesan cheese over the top, and with every bite quickly learned why this soup was famous. I knew I had to make it at home.

    Cooking Ribollita at Home

    I found inspiration from Ina Garten, then adapted it to what we enjoyed in Italy. With so many vegetables, there is a bit of prep work to making ribollita, but think of it as great knife skills practice. You can do your prep ahead and cook when ready. Originally I used pancetta, but prosciutto is easier to find so my updated recipe uses that.

    Ribollita|AFoodCentricLife.com

    Ingredient Notes and Dietary Options

    Most of the recipes edits are obvious to fit your dietary preferences such as skipping the cheese for dairy-free, and using vegetable broth for vegans.

    • Omit the prosciutto for no meat
    • I use this gluten-free sourdough If you use regular sourdough the slices are much larger, so start with half
    • For grain-free, skip the bread cubes, it is just not as thick
    • If you have mixed dietary preferences in your home, you can use the crisped Prosciutto as a garnish instead of cooked in so each person can choose.
    Ribollita | AFoodCentricLife.com

    For another hearty dish with lots of veggies and beans try this hearty vegetarian chili. And for more trip photos starting in Rome, read this post.

    Originally posted 1/17/2011

    Ribollita | AFoodCentricLife.com

    Ribollita | Tuscan Vegetable Soup |Siena, Italy

    This hearty, thick soup is filled with vegetables, beans and bread cubes that melt in to create a thick, stew-like consistency. Perfect for a cold day when you need something warming, and a great way to use up vegetables and bread in the Italian tradition. I started with a recipe from Ina Garten and adapted it to what we had in Italy. For a vegetarian or vegan version, use homemade vegetable broth and skip the pancetta or Prosciutto (or use it as a garnish). Leftovers are great and freeze well. 
    Print Recipe Rate Recipe
    No ratings yet
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Italian
    Keyword: Bean, Italian, Ribollita, Soup, Vegetable
    Servings: 6 Yield 2 ½ quarts
    Calories: 337kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons olive oil divided use
    • 3 ounces prosciutto chopped
    • 1 large onion diced, 2 cups
    • 3-4 large cloves garlic chopped fine
    • 1 cup diced carrots 2 large
    • 1 cup diced celery 2-3 ribs
    • 1 cup diced fennel bulb 1 medium bulb
    • 1 ½ teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
    • ½ teaspoon sea salt
    • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
    • 4 cups chopped kale 5-6 large leaves without center ribs
    • 1 15-ounce can cannellini beans rinsed and drained
    • 4 cups low sodium chicken broth preferably homemade
    • 4 slices gluten-free sourdough bread, cubed small crusts removed (1 ½ -2 cups)
    • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
    • ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
    • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese optional

    Instructions

    • Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large heavy pot (5 ½ quarts) over medium heat. Add Prosciutto and cook until crisped, 4-5 minutes. Remove Prosciutto from the pot and set aside to be added back later.
    • Add the rest of the oil to the pot and add the onion. Cook until tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add the carrots, celery and fennel and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the dried herbs, then stir in the kale, salt, and black and red pepper, cook 4-5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, beans, broth and bread cubes. Turn heat up and bring soup to almost a boil, then put a lid on the pot and turn the heat to low. Add the Prosciutto back in and cook for another 15 minutes. Kale will be tender and bread cubes will melt into the soup. Remover lid, stir in basil, and serve. Ladle into bowls, top with Parmesan to serve if desired. 

    Notes

    Recipe Notes: This soup is even better the next day. I like it very thick as we had it in Italy. If you want a more brothy soup, add more broth. Leftovers freeze well. 
    To use dried beans start here: Soak ½ a pound of dried cannellini beans overnight in a large bowl or pot, covered with cold water to cover by several inches. Cover with plastic film or a lid and refrigerate overnight.  If you forgot to soak the beans overnight, use the quick soak method, below. 
    Quick Soak Bean Method: Rinse the beans in cold water, place them in a large, heavy pot (like a Le Creuset Dutch Oven) and cover with cold water by about 3″. Bring the beans to a boil and bowl for 2 minutes. Turn the heat off. Cover pot and remove from the heat. Allow beans to sit for an hour. The beans are ready to use as if they were soaked.
    To cook dried soaked beans: Drain the beans and place them in a large pot with 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45-60 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon salt and continue simmering until beans are tender, about 15 minutes longer.  Timing will depend on how old the beans are. Set the beans aside in their liquid to cool.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 337kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 737mg | Potassium: 669mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 8279IU | Vitamin C: 60mg | Calcium: 224mg | Iron: 3mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nan says

      January 18, 2011 at 8:24 am

      I think this soup looks so good! I've been making a fair number of soups this winter and think this ribollita should go into the line up.

      Beautiful photos of Italy!

      Reply
    2. Chef Debbie of Yummy~issimo! says

      January 20, 2011 at 7:59 am

      This soup is fantastic! I typically look at recipes and change a lot of things but this is one that I made exactly as written and have shared (with Chef Sally's permission) on the radio. Thanks Chef Sally for always offering us great recipes that are easy to prepare, healthy and tasty!

      Reply
    3. Christine says

      November 05, 2013 at 7:30 am

      FYI...of all the recipes I found for ribollita...yours is the best. However, I made a change of my own which you would probably love. I used Italian flavored chicken sausage and swisschard instead of kale and pancetta. I'm in love with this soup and have made it three times since September. It's a total winner!!!!

      Reply
      • Sally says

        November 05, 2013 at 9:42 am

        Thanks Christine! Excellent changes! Thanks for reporting back so everyone can try it this way. I love using chicken sausage and always have it in the fridge or freezer. Good job!

        Reply
    4. Gillian says

      February 24, 2014 at 8:50 am

      This recipe is absolutely delicious! I'm making it again today. Hubby loves it 🙂

      Reply
      • Sally says

        February 24, 2014 at 1:42 pm

        Love to hear that Gillian. Thanks for commenting back. Always makes me happy to know my recipes are helping people!

        Reply
    5. Heather says

      April 24, 2014 at 6:55 am

      Loved this soup and so did my family!

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        October 16, 2018 at 10:04 pm

        Thanks Heather! So glad to hear that.

        Reply
    6. Brenda says

      September 22, 2014 at 4:21 am

      Today I'm buying the ingredients to make this. One question though...if freezing half and serving the other half over several days, should it add the bread cubes all at once, or when I am reheating the soup in small batches? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Sally says

        September 23, 2014 at 1:57 pm

        Hi Brenda. That is a good question! My first thought was to add them when you re-heat the soup, but that would kind of be a hassle and extra step when you just want a quick meal. So I froze some with the breadcrumbs in, then thawed and heated and it was great. No problem. Freeze it with the breadcrumbs in. They do melt away and disintegrate into the soup when cooking anyway. Hope this helps.

        Reply
    7. Sasha says

      March 20, 2018 at 5:27 am

      This soup is best for the winters and good for us also.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        October 16, 2018 at 10:00 pm

        Totally agreed Sasha.

        Reply
    8. Clarence wilson says

      May 26, 2018 at 5:29 am

      This recipe is absolutely delicious! I’m will make very soon coz of i love it, Thanks for sharinng

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        October 16, 2018 at 10:00 pm

        Hope you enjoy it Clarence! We just finished a big pot.

        Reply
    9. Patty says

      January 07, 2019 at 9:13 pm

      I’ve been making Ribollita (based on Ina Garten’s recipe) for the last few years, and it’s a favorite. I add the (optional) cabbage that her recipe calls for, and as with every recipe, I increase the amount of garlic! ☺️ I also include red and yellow bell pepper (and sometimes leeks) when sautéing the carrots, celery, etc.. In the last boil/simmer, I include Parmesan rinds, and instead of putting bread in to cook, I make a mess of croutons (sourdough garlic/jalapeño/cheese loaf from our farmer’s market!) and put them in the bottom of the bowl. Pour the soup on top of croutons, grate more cheese, drizzle with good olive oil—holy cow! I think I’ll try your fennel bulb next time.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        January 08, 2019 at 2:12 pm

        Sounds delicious Patty. I sometimes do the Parmesan rinds too as it adds that "umami" flavor. Leeks, absolutely! Love them. Fun idea with the croutons!

        Reply
    10. Laura says

      January 25, 2019 at 9:46 am

      I’m making this soup right now! Can’t wait to taste. I’m a little confused about the prosciutto though as I don’t see where it comes back into the pot. I’ve added a diced zucchini and some Italian chicken sausage too.

      Reply
      • Sally Cameron says

        January 29, 2019 at 2:37 pm

        Really? I'll check that out right away, thanks. Add it in towards the end to heat through. Hope you enjoy it!

        Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Hearty Vegetable Winter Soup | chocolate & carrots says:
      02/08/2011 at 4:39 am

      [...] adapted from Sally Cameron [...]

      Reply
    2. Digi auto links says:
      09/07/2011 at 11:34 pm

      Awesome website...

      [...]the time to read or visit the content or sites we have linked to below the[...]…...

      Reply

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