Ribollita
Ingredients
- 1 cup cannellini beans – soaked overnight
- 10 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic – left whole
- 4 leaves fresh sage
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 ounces yellow onion – finely chopped (~1.5 medium yellow onions)
- 6 ounces carrot – finely chopped (~3 medium carrots)
- 4 ounces celery – finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic – minced
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 14 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes – crushed by hand
- 10 ounces tuscan kale – stemmed and chopped
- 8 ounces savoy cabbage – cored and shredded
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper – freshly ground
- 12 ounces country bread – sliced 0.5-inch thick, toasted if not stale (for layering)
- extra-virgin olive oil – for drizzling (for serving)
Instructions
1. Drain the soaked cannellini beans. Place them in a pot with 8 cups of the water, the 2 whole garlic cloves, and the sage. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender but not falling apart, 60–90 minutes; the beans are done when creamy inside. Reserve the beans and at least 6 cups of their cooking liquid; discard the sage and whole garlic.
2. Warm the 0.25 cup extra-virgin olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring often, until soft and sweet but not browned, 8–10 minutes.
3. Add the minced garlic and the rosemary sprig and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
4. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened and the raw tomato smell fades, 4–6 minutes.
5. Add the kale and cabbage and cook, stirring, until just wilted, 3–5 minutes.
6. Add the cooked beans and 6 cups of the reserved bean cooking liquid. If the vegetables are not fully covered, add up to 2 cups additional water. Season with the kosher salt and black pepper. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the greens are tender and the broth is flavorful, 30–40 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig.
7. If your bread is not very stale, toast the slices until dry. Lay half the bread slices over the soup, pressing them down so they absorb liquid. Spoon half the soup over the bread. Repeat with remaining bread and soup. Cover and simmer on low until the bread is saturated and beginning to break apart, 10–15 minutes.
8. Let the pot rest off heat for 20 minutes to thicken, or cool and refrigerate overnight. To honor ribollita’s name (reboiled), reheat the next day over medium heat, stirring gently as it bubbles, 10–15 minutes, until thick and porridge-like.
9. Ladle into warm bowls and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil (for serving). Taste and adjust salt and pepper before serving.
Ribollita is a hearty Tuscan bread-and-bean soup that eats like a rustic stew. It’s built on a soffritto base and a tangle of cavolo nero (Tuscan kale) and Savoy cabbage, all enriched by cannellini beans and the starch of stale country bread. The texture is thick and spoonable, with olive oil bringing a silky richness and tomatoes adding gentle acidity.
The name means “reboiled,” reflecting the traditional practice of simmering the soup, resting it, and then boiling it again the next day for deeper flavor. Originating as cucina povera, it was a way to stretch leftover minestrone with old bread, transforming frugality into comfort. Over time, ribollita became a beloved emblem of Tuscan home cooking, celebrated for its robust flavors and satisfying simplicity.