Ribollita – Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Ribollita, a hearty Tuscan vegetable soup made with cannellini beans, cavolo nero, bread, potatoes and garlic it's packed full of nutrition and flavour. A great recipe for chilly winter evenings!

This traditional Tuscan vegetable soup is extremely popular during the winter months in Italy. It's a chunky and hearty stew-like soup that's best enjoyed reheated the next day hence the name Ribollita (reboiled).

Ribollita Origin

Ribollita was originally made by reheating leftover minestrone or vegetable soup the next day with the addition of crusty bread to bulk it out. There are many varieties of Ribollita but the most common vegetables used are

• Cavolo nero
• Savoy cabbage
• Carrots
• Onion
• Celery
• Potatoes
• Tomatoes

How To Make Tuscan Vegetable Soup – Ribollita

First, you need to soak the dried cannellini beans in cold water for at least 12 hours (ideally 24). Once the beans have soaked, drain them and add them to a pot with 3 peeled garlic cloves, two sprigs of rosemary and 5 sage leaves. Cover the beans with water and place on a low heat.

Let the beans simmer gently for 2 hours then remove the beans with a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl and discard the rosemary and sage. Keep the bean cooking liquid, this will act as your stock for the soup (photos 1,2 & 3)

Tip: If you're pressed for time, skip this step and add canned cannellini beans in at the end. Replace the bean cooking liquid with extra vegetable stock.

Next, make il soffritto (click the link to find out more about soffritto). Finely chop the carrot, onion and celery and add to a large pot with a little olive oil. Saute gently until soft then add the potato (peeled and cubed) and the leek, continue to cook until the leek has softened.

Add the bean cooking liquid, vegetable stock and canned chopped tomatoes along with a pinch of salt and pepper, simmer gently for 40 minutes (photos 4, 5 & 6).

Now add the roughly chopped cavolo nero and cannellini beans, simmer covered for 20 minutes then add the chopped bread. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes then serve (photos 7, 8 & 9).

Ingredients

Makes 6 people

For the beans

• 1 1/2 cups 250g dried cannellini beans
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 5 sage leaves
• 3 cloves peeled garlic

For the soup

• 1 carrot
• 1 white onion
• 1 stalk celery
• 1 leek (sliced)
• 1 lb (500g) cavolo nero
• 2 medium sized potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes (around 560g/oz))
• 1 cup 270g canned chopped tomatoes
• 5 cups/ 1 litre vegetable stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 7 oz (200g) crusty bread

Method

1. First, soak the dried cannellini beans in cold water for at least 12 hours (ideally 24 hours).

2. Once the beans have soaked, drain them and add them to a pot with 3 peeled garlic cloves, two sprigs of rosemary and 5 sage leaves. Cover the beans with 4 cups/1 litre water and place on a low heat, covered. *see notes if using pre-cooked cannellini beans.

3. Let the beans simmer gently for 2 hours then remove the beans with a slotted spoon and place in a separate bowl and discard the rosemary and sage. Keep the bean cooking liquid, this will act as your stock for the soup.

4. Finely chop the carrot, onion and celery and add to a large pot with the olive oil. Saute gently until soft then add the potato (peeled and cubed) and the leek, continue to cook until the leek has softened.

5. Add the bean cooking liquid, vegetable stock and canned chopped tomatoes along with a good pinch of salt and pepper, simmer gently for 40 minutes.

6. Now add the roughly chopped cavolo nero and cannellini beans, simmer covered for 20 minutes then add the chopped bread. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes then serve.

Kitchen notes

• If you're pressed for time, skip the first 3 steps and add pre-cooked canned cannellini beans in at the end. Replace the bean cooking liquid with extra vegetable stock.
• Overall time excludes bean soaking time