Ribollita soup is a traditional Italian vegetable and bean soup thickened with stale bread. The soup is rich and satisfying and, best of all, perfect for using your leftovers.
You can make ribollita with any leftover vegetables or broth you have in your refrigerator. There is no one correct recipe for the soup. In fact, it will probably be different every time you make it, since it is the perfect vehicle for leftovers. It can be brothy, or thick and almost custardy, depending on your preferences.
Use this recipe as a base and change it to use vegetables you have on hand. The recipe makes about 12 servings.
Tips
- Use the vegetables listed in the ingredients or substitute them with other options. Here are some suggestions.
- Squash, pumpkin, or potato
- Green beans
- Leeks
- Swiss chard or spinach instead of kale
- Fennel
- Instead of crushed tomatoes, use the same size can of petite-cut tomatoes, including the liquid.
- Use any type of broth or water.
- Instead of cannellini beans, use another bean that you like.
- If you have leftover vegetable soup, add other ingredients to it to make your ribollita.
- If you use a Parmesan rind in your soup, you can add a large piece, let it cook for 30 minutes to an hour and then remove it, or you can cut it into very small pieces and leave it in the soup.
Ingredients
Here’s a basic list of ingredients to make ribollita soup.
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups onions, chopped into small pieces (1/4 – 1/2 inch)
- 2 cups carrots, chopped into small pieces (1/4 – 1/2 inch)
- 1 1/2 cups parsnips, chopped into small pieces (1/4 – 1/2 inch)
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups celery, sliced (1/4 – 1/2 inch)
- 32-ounce container of broth (chicken, vegetable, or beef)
- 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)
- 2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)
- 5 cups kale (about 6 – 7 ounces), large stems removed and torn into small pieces
- 1/4 ounce fresh parsley, chopped small
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Rind of Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, more to taste
- 15 1/2-ounce can of cannellini beans
- 2 cups crusty bread, cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch cubes
- 1/2 cup red wine
- Parmesan cheese for garnishing
Directions
Add the olive oil to a large stockpot and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, and parsnips and cook for 3-5 minutes (just to give them a head start on the cooking).
Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes. The vegetables will be slightly cooked, but not tender yet.
Add the broth, crushed tomatoes, peas, corn, kale, parsley, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, bay leaf, and Parmesan rind. Bring the soup to a high simmer, immediately lower the heat, and simmer the soup until the vegetables are almost tender (about 20 minutes). If the soup starts to get too thick, add a little water.
Add the beans, bread, and wine to the soup. Add a little salt. Simmer the soup for a while, letting the bread soften and start to merge into the soup (10 – 15 minutes), stirring it often. Taste the soup and adjust the salt and pepper.
To serve the soup, spoon it into bowls and grate a little Parmesan cheese on top.
Store the leftover soup in the refrigerator. It’s even better a day or two after making it. If it has thickened too much, add a little broth or water when heating it.
Related Posts
You might enjoy these recipes that use leftover bread.