Ribollita

Ribollita (Tuscan Reboiled Bean and Bread Soup)

A hearty Tuscan peasant soup of cannellini beans, cavolo nero and vegetables simmered with stale country bread until thickened enough to stand a spoon in. It is traditionally made a day ahead and reheated, which is the whole point of the name.

Prep

25 min

Cook

90 min

Total

115 min

Serves

6

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (8½ oz / about 1¼ cups) dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight; or 2 × 400 g (14 oz) tins, drained
• •2 l (8½ cups) cold water, for soaking and cooking the beans
• •1 small onion, halved
• •2 cloves garlic, crushed
• •2 leaves bay leaves
• •60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving, plus 1 bay leaf for the bean pot
• •1 large leek, trimmed and sliced, white and pale green only
• •2 medium carrots, diced
• •2 stalks celery, diced
• •1 small head Savoy cabbage, outer leaves removed, cored and shredded
• •300 g (about 10½ oz) cavolo nero, Tuscan black kale, tough stems removed, leaves shredded; if unavailable use lacinato/dinosaur kale
• •200 g (about 7 oz) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 200 g (7 oz) good-quality tinned plum tomatoes, crushed
• •1.5 l (about 6¼ cups) hot vegetable stock or bean cooking water, use bean water for the most traditional flavour
• •5 g (about 1 tsp) fine sea salt, plus more to taste
• •1 g (about ¼ tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• •200 g (about 7 oz) stale country bread, unsalted Tuscan pane toscano if possible; sourdough is a fine substitute
• •1 small handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped, to finish

Steps

1. 1 Drain the soaked beans, put them in a pot with 1.5 L (about 6¼ cups) cold water, half the onion, 1 garlic clove, 1 bay leaf and a small drizzle of olive oil. Bring to a gentle boil, skim any foam, then simmer partially covered for 45–60 minutes, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Season lightly with salt near the end. Reserve the cooking water and set aside about ¾ of the beans; mash the remaining beans with a fork into a rough paste.
2. 2 While the beans cook, warm 45 ml (3 tbsp) of the olive oil in a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped onion, leek, carrots and celery with a pinch of salt and cook gently for 8–10 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.
3. 3 Stir in the remaining crushed garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomatoes, Savoy cabbage and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes until the cabbage begins to wilt.
4. 4 Add the whole and mashed beans, 1 L (about 4 cups) of the hot bean cooking water (or stock) and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the cavolo nero and another 250 ml (1 cup) of hot bean water so the greens are just covered. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 20–25 minutes until the greens are silky and the soup is thick and creamy. Loosen with more hot bean water only if needed; ribollita should be dense, not brothy.
5. 5 Season to taste with salt and pepper. If serving the same day, tear the stale bread into chunks, scatter it over the soup, press it down so it is just submerged, and simmer for 5 more minutes so the bread breaks down and thickens the soup (the bread should almost dissolve, not sit as a layer).
6. 6 For the most authentic version, stop here, cool the soup, refrigerate overnight, and reboil it the next day with another handful of torn bread stirred in, adding a splash of hot water as it reheats since it will thicken further. The dish is named for this reboiling step.
7. 7 Ladle into warm bowls, drizzle generously with raw extra-virgin olive oil, scatter over the parsley and finish with more black pepper. Serve with any remaining bread alongside.
8. 8 Doneness cues: beans should be creamy enough to mash easily with the side of a fork; cavolo nero should be silky and dark green, never mushy; the finished soup should hold a spoon upright for a second when lifted. A finished internal temperature of at least 75 °C (165 °F) is recommended when reheating.