Tuscan Ribollita

Name: Tuscan Ribollita
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Tuscan
Ingredients: ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving; 1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely diced; 2 medium (200 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 2 large (130 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice; 4 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh rosemary, finely chopped; ¼ teaspoon (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); 2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste; 1 can (14 oz) (400 g) whole peeled canned tomatoes, with juices, crushed by hand; 1 piece (2–3 inch) (30 g) Parmesan rind, scrubbed clean (optional); 2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed; 6 cups (1440 ml) vegetable or chicken stock; 1 large bunch (about 10 oz) (280 g) lacinato kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons; 6 oz (170 g) stale rustic country bread, crusts removed if very hard, torn into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces; 1½ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A thick, rustic Tuscan soup of creamy cannellini beans, lacinato kale, and vegetables, thickened with stale bread and finished with a generous pour of olive oil. It tastes even better the next day.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 15 min
Wait: 20 min
Total: 2 hr
Makes: About 3 quarts (6 hearty bowls)

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Ingredients

6 servings

¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1 large (about 10 oz) (280 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely diced
2 medium (200 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
2 large (130 g) celery stalks, cut into ½-inch (1 cm) dice
4 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon (3 g) fresh rosemary, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons (32 g) tomato paste
1 can (14 oz) (400 g) whole peeled canned tomatoes, with juices, crushed by hand
1 piece (2–3 inch) (30 g) Parmesan rind, scrubbed clean (optional)
2 cans (15 oz each) (850 g) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
6 cups (1440 ml) vegetable or chicken stock
1 large bunch (about 10 oz) (280 g) lacinato kale, tough stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) ribbons
6 oz (170 g) stale rustic country bread, crusts removed if very hard, torn into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1½ teaspoons (7 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground

Equipment (5)

6-quart (5.5 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot with a lid
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife and cutting board
Fork or potato masher
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Use bread that is truly stale (2–3 days old, dry and firm). If yours is fresh, tear it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces and leave it spread on a tray, uncovered, overnight until dry and firm.
This recipe uses canned beans for convenience. If using dried beans, soak and cook 1 cup (200 g) until tender, and reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the cooking liquid in place of some stock.
Chop all vegetables before you start so the soffritto can go straight into the pot.
Plan to rest the soup 20 minutes after adding the bread; it thickens as it sits.

1
Build the soffritto
- Heat ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil in a 6-quart (5.5 L) heavy pot over medium heat.
- Add the onion, carrots, celery, and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
- Cook, stirring every minute or so, for 10–12 minutes.
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Ready when: Vegetables are soft and the onion is translucent and sweet-smelling, with only light golden edges.
Tip: Don't rush this step; deeply softened vegetables are the flavor base.
2
Add aromatics and paste
- Stir in the garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Cook 1 minute.
- Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
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Ready when: Paste darkens to brick red and the garlic is fragrant but not browned.
Tip: If the garlic browns, it turns bitter; lower the heat.
3
Add tomatoes and stock
- Add the hand-crushed tomatoes with their juices and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
- Pour in the stock, add the Parmesan rind if using, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and the pepper.
- Bring to a boil over high heat.
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Ready when: Liquid is at a steady rolling boil.
4
Mash and add beans
- Place the drained beans in a bowl and mash about one-third of them with a fork or potato masher into a rough paste.
- Stir all the beans, mashed and whole, into the pot.
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Ready when: Beans are evenly distributed and the broth looks slightly cloudy.
Tip: The mashed beans give the soup its creamy body.
5
Simmer with kale
- Reduce the heat to medium-low so the soup simmers gently.
- Stir in the kale in two handfuls, letting the first wilt before adding the second.
- Partially cover and simmer 35–40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Ready when: Kale is silky and tender with no chew, and the broth tastes rich and rounded.
Tip: Lacinato holds its shape better than curly kale, so don't shorten the time.
6
Stir in the bread
- Remove the Parmesan rind.
- Stir in the torn bread, pressing it down so it is submerged.
- Simmer gently, stirring often, for 10 minutes.
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Ready when: Bread has collapsed and the soup is very thick, almost porridge-like, and a spoon leaves a trail.
Tip: If it gets too thick to stir, add ½ cup (120 ml) hot water or stock.
7
Rest the soup
- Turn off the heat, cover, and let the soup rest for 20 minutes so the bread fully absorbs the broth and the flavors settle.
- Taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
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Ready when: Soup is thick enough that a spoon stands up briefly in the center.
Tip: Under-seasoning is the most common flaw; bread and beans soak up salt.
8
Serve generously
- Reheat gently if needed, stirring.
- Ladle into warm bowls and finish each with a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and a grind of black pepper.
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Ready when: Soup is steaming hot throughout.
Tip: Traditionally it is reboiled the next day (ri-bollita); it tastes even better then.

Good to know

Tips

Mashing some beans is the key to a creamy texture without any dairy.
Be generous with the finishing olive oil; it is part of the dish, not a garnish.
Keep the Parmesan rind in the freezer for soups; it adds savory depth.
For a vegan version, use vegetable stock and omit the Parmesan rind.

Make ahead

Make the soup through step 7 up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. The next day, reheat in a pot over medium-low heat with a splash of water or stock until bubbling, which is the traditional 'reboiled' ribollita.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight container up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a splash of water or stock, stirring often, until steaming hot.

Substitutions

lacinato kale → Savoy cabbage or Swiss chard. Chard cooks faster; add it for the last 15 minutes of simmering.
cannellini beans → Great Northern or white navy beans. Same quantity; similar creamy texture.
stale rustic country bread → Day-old sourdough or ciabatta. Avoid soft sandwich bread, which turns gummy.
vegetable or chicken stock → Water plus 1 teaspoon extra salt. Flavor will be lighter; the Parmesan rind helps compensate.